Working On It
by my shangri-la
Summary: Set after the movie. Pairings: Derek/Lizzie, Derek/Casey, Lizzie/Edwin, Edwin/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Working on it – LWD**

**Summary: Set after the movie. Pairings: Derek/Lizzie, Derek/Casey, Lizzie/Edwin, Edwin/OC**

**Disclaimer: Ummm… I only own the plot bunnies hopping in my head.**

_**Chapter 1**_

She replayed it again:_ "I might be able to forgive you for throwing away your future, but if you don't get your ass up here for this… Case, I'll never forgive you."_

Harsh much? Casey thought so. But from her step-brother, she wouldn't expect much less. And it was why she was in an airport taxi at midnight on a Friday on the way to the hospital after her performance and a three hour flight from New York to Ontario. She had barely spared the time to go back to her dorm to change into jeans and pack a few things before leaving.

After her post-rehearsal high around four-thirty that afternoon, she had turned her phone back on and had been immediately bombarded with twelve messages from George, Lizzie, and Edwin saying that Nora had gone into labor. Casey called George back and he reassured her that things were going well – albeit slowly, and told her that he would keep her posted before letting her speak briefly to Nora. Her mother insisted that she finish her evening as usual and check back in at the end of the night.

Best brother and sister that they were, Lizzie and Edwin made sure to update her hourly via text message. _They weren't giving her the silent treatment._ Neither was Marti for that matter – they talked at least twice a week when Casey finished her conversation with Nora. That just left Derek. He had barely spoken her since she had decided to defer college and go to New York with Jesse. And he hadn't contacted her at all since she had left – something she was justly peeved about.

Casey sighed internally as the taxi pulled up to the hospital lobby entrance. She had gotten Derek's message only a few minutes after she had gotten backstage at the end of the performance, and had nearly dropped her phone in shock. Her dorm mate Chloe had given her a strange look, "You okay, girly? You look kind of pale."

"I need to go", Casey said suddenly, not really answering the query. "My mom's in labor – I need to get back to Canada."

"Tonight?" Chloe demanded incredulously. "Are you crazy?"

"So you'll take me to the airport?" Casey asked as she shoved her make-up and jacket into her workout bag. Chloe was one of the few people Casey had met in New York who actually owned a car – she had to keep it in a garage and pay half a million dollars a month for parking, but she had it. It was sad to say that Casey actually missed _The Prince_.

Chloe pulled her long black hair from the tight bun it had been in for the show. "Of course", she chuckled. "But you have to tell Jesse why you're missing the after party."

"Jesse's met my family, Chloe", Casey said raising an eyebrow, "He knows they're important to me."

Chloe nodded slowly, sort of confused at the defensiveness in her friend's tone. "Just go tell him we're leaving while I get us a cab back to the dorms", she said before heading for her own station to get her cell phone from her bag – and Casey went to find Jesse.

Now Casey was getting out of the cab in front of the hospital, slinging her duffle over her shoulder as she tossed money at the cab driver before heading towards the main lobby. "McDonald-Venturi", she threw at the tired looking receptionist. She didn't bother looking at the woman's nametag.

"Just a moment", the blonde woman said blandly turning to the keyboard. Casey drummed her fingers on the marble irritatedly as she waited for no more than ten seconds, her anxiety and frustration on the forefront. "Room 812", she said after double-checking the screen. "She's still having contractions."

"Oh, thank god", Casey muttered before stalking determinedly towards the elevators. She only waited a moment before one opened and she stepped in and hit the eighth button. The elevator stopped three times and Casey nearly got off in favor of the stairs at floor six.

Casey walked around the reception desk towards the waiting area to see Lizzie, Edwin, and Marti playing Uno… and Derek pacing back and forth in a way Casey could only say was nervousness. Casey thanked the heavens that no one else occupied the waiting room. "Guys", she murmured quietly, stepping forward slowly. Four heads whipped around to look at her in shock.

Lizzie and Edwin stood up as Marti shot at her and attached herself to Casey's side. "Casey! You made it!" Lizzie said grinning as they headed over and they both promptly squished her and Marti in a sandwich hug.

"I can't breathe", Marti mumbled against Casey's stomach. Edwin let go and backed up in amusement. He chanced a look over at his absent brother only to have Derek suddenly pretend he was busy… picking at his _nails_. _What?_ Edwin turned back around with an amused shake of the head.

"Me either", Casey squeaked finally before Lizzie let go of her death grip her and Marti finally ran back to Derek. Casey looked over her sibling's heads to glance cautiously at Derek. He looked slightly incredulous at the sight of her – but he was definitely frowning. _Did he really think she wouldn't have wanted to be here for her own mother? Did he really think she could honestly be that selfish?_ Casey shook her head ridding unnecessary thoughts and turned back to her siblings. She could deal with Derek later – hopefully _much _later. "I've really missed you guys", she said finally.

"Nice to see ya, Sis. Are you staying for a few days?" Edwin asked quietly, taking in the bag over her shoulder.

Casey bit her bottom lip, "Is that going to be a problem? I had my show tonight – I can stay for about a week."

"Not unless you mind sharing your room with me", Lizzie shrugged. "Mom said she was going to tell you…"

"Tell me what?" Casey prompted.

"They rearranged the rooms, Case", Edwin stated plainly.

"Oh, right – I forgot", she murmured. "So my room is full of baby stuff?"

Lizzie shook her head, grinning, "No, mine is. I got your room because it's bigger. It's still your mattress though, so we'll have plenty of room. Unless you want to share with Derek", she teased quietly. "He's the only other one with a double bed."

Casey gave her sister a glare, "Not funny. How's the wall sharing going?"

Lizzie shrugged, "No big – Casey, he's been at school for nearly three weeks… And he wasn't really home a lot after you left. And they might be moving his stuff to the basement so they can take his room to be closer to the baby."

Casey looked over at Edwin for an explanation about the first part, but he just shrugged. "How long is he staying?" she asked softly.

"It's Wednesday", Edwin muttered thoughtfully, "Probably until Sunday afternoon. You mind filling us in as to what all the drama was about?" he asked pointedly.

Casey rolled her eyes, but didn't bother to play stupid. "Trust me, if I knew, I wouldn't still be over here hiding", she murmured quietly. That was a partial lie – she _did_ know. It's was why she was hiding.

Edwin snorted, "My sister the chicken, great."

"No time like the present", Lizzie insisted, looping her arm through Casey's.

Casey pulled the three of them to a brief stop to say warningly, "If and when I speak to Derek, it will be privately – and you two had better not be eavesdropping."

"Whatever, Case", Lizzie said lightly. "Do you think the two of you can manage to get through the current situation in tact first?"

"No promises", Casey muttered as they dragged her towards Derek and Marti. Unseen, Edwin pinched her side lightly and she whacked the back of his head in lightning quick retaliation.

"Well, we know who to keep the baby away from", Derek muttered under his breath.

"…_if you don't get your ass up here for this… Case, I'll never forgive you."_

Casey forced an eye roll as Edwin snickered and moved past her to resume Uno with Marti. Lizzie gave her another side hug and followed. "Nice to see you too, Derek", Casey murmured sarcastically as she flopped into a chair across from near the table their siblings were playing cards at, setting her bag on an empty seat next to her.

She heard Edwin from a few feet away, whispering to Lizzie, "Round one – ding." Casey restrained herself from throwing a torn up magazine at him and took out of her phone to text George that she was here before sending the same to Chloe even though it was after midnight.

Casey didn't look up when Derek took a seat directly across from her. She was well into a Brennifer tabloid magazine when he began staring her down – yeah, it was that old.

"Ooh, the freeze-out", Lizzie sighed quietly. "Casey really sucks at that game."

"Why is Casey mad at Derek?" Marti asked in what _she_ thought was a whisper.

Casey groaned and whirled around, "Marti, I'm _not_ mad at Derek – yet. Lizzie, Edwin, stop being commentators", she snapped.

"Please tell me you have Midol packed in that bag of yours", Edwin grumbled. The nurse walking by laughed.

"Edwin!" Casey exclaimed exasperatedly. "Do yourself a favor and tape your mouth shut."

Edwin gave her a one-fingered salute that got him a glare from Derek – unseen by Casey. And Casey giggled. "Sorry, point taken", she chuckled. "But seriously, can we not go there tonight?"

"Alright", Edwin said exaggeratedly and spreading his arms out, "No one bother Casey – or she'll kill us."

"Edwin, do you know the meaning of 'shut it'?" Lizzie demanded, kicking him under the table.

"I do _now_", he grumbled, reaching down to rub his shin. Marti giggled and called, "Uno!"

Casey coughed over a laugh and dug in her bag for her iPod. As she straightened to put in her ear buds, she was startled to find Derek occupying the previously empty chair next to her. "God, could you announce yourself?" she complained.

"Nice of you to show up", he said under his breath.

She rolled her eyes, but said nothing, only putting in her ear buds and turning up the volume.

A few seconds later they were pulled out of her ears, and Derek was forcibly turning her towards him, "_Hey_", he growled, "What? Are you ignoring me now?"

"Oh, please", Casey said sarcastically. "No one could ignore you even if they tried. You, however, are the king of freeze-outs. I hope you're proud of yourself. Congratulations, Derek, you've gotten your point across."

He dropped her arm. "Don't do that, Casey. You just don't know-"

"The problem, D, is that I do know, okay? I'm not that freaking stupid. I'm not doing this with you tonight." Casey stood up and walked toward the table, "I'm going to get a drink – and maybe something pretzel from the vending machine. Anybody want something?"

"Something caffeinated", Edwin nodded.

"M&Ms", Lizzie added.

"Animal crackers and water?" Marti asked.

Casey gave the girl a strange look but nodded, "Okay, I'll be back in a few minutes." Then she headed down the hall, fully aware she was being followed.

Derek waited until they got to the vending machines before he spoke to her again. "Since when do you do that?" he demanded.

She sighed as she fed the machine dollar bills and punched buttons, giving in, "Do what?"

"_This_, for example", he hissed angrily. "When the hell have you ever avoided confrontation? Never with me, that's for sure."

She faltered momentarily. _With me_. "Derek, you've been trying to get me to shut up since we were fifteen", she said finally. "Now that I am, you don't get to complain about it."

"Quit avoiding, Casey", he said flatly.

"You haven't spoken to me since I left three months ago – I'm pretty sure the avoidance award goes to you", she returned in a low, even tone.

He groaned. "Casey-"

She held up a hand to shut him up. "Derek, I had to make a decision, okay? I had to do something for me – for once. You have to understand that. Yes, I left. For once in my life I acted on impulse and acted selfishly. But don't you dare accuse me of being irresponsible and throwing my future away. This one time – I acted like you, alright? Please just accept that for tonight."

"Casey, you worked your ass off during high school just to get into a good college. That stupid prancing guy comes along and tells you that you're an amazing dancer – something you should be _more_ than aware of by now – and you go gallivanting off to New York. That just doesn't add up for me", he said shaking his head.

"Derek, every time you say 'gallivanting', it really weirds me out", Casey murmured. "Jesse doesn't prance", she added as an afterthought. "And you can't honestly tell me that if you were recruited by the Maple Leafs at the end of senior year that you wouldn't have jumped on the chance."

Derek studied her momentarily; jaw tight, before finally visibly relaxing. "At least you didn't sleep with him", he said under his breath.

Casey's mouth dropped open involuntarily, "_Excuse me?_" she hissed. "How would you even- Der_ek_, ewww!"

He chuckled, but it sounded bitter, even to his own ears. "You think that after all these years I can't read you like a book?"

"Well, _no_, but that's just… it's none of your business", she said finally recovering slightly, "And completely inappropriate right now –or _ever._" She turned to stalk off with her vending machine goodies and a handful of drinks when he grabbed her arm, forcing her to stop or drop everything.

"Look, I don't want to hear about your sex life…like _ever_", he grimaced, "But we need to talk, Casey."

She closed her eyes momentarily, "Not now", she said finally. He just nodded and followed her back to the waiting area. When they got there, George was taking a minor break chatting with the kids.

Casey doled out the snacks quickly and went to give him a hug. "How's Mom?"

"She's a trooper", George grinned. "And she wants to see you." He just pointed down the hallway, knowing better than to stand in the way of a McDonald on a mission, and she shot off in the direction of his finger.

She approached the door and went in quickly, "Mom!" she exclaimed in quiet excitement. She had never been away from her mother for more than two weeks at a time, and the past few months would have been more difficult if she hadn't been so busy. She really was incredibly homesick though.

Nora looked up to see her oldest daughter sit on the edge of the bed cautiously and Nora reached up to smooth back her long bangs that Casey hadn't bothered to control before she left New York. "Hey, Miss Case", she murmured softly.

"Are you alright?" Casey asked worriedly leaning in for a hug. "I mean-"

"Yeah, honey, I'm okay", Nora said reassuringly. "I'm glad you made it", she nodded. "Maybe now this little guy will come out", she joked.

"Are they _sure_ it's not a girl?" Casey muttered. "We really don't need the boys getting any more leeway with voting majority", she grumbled.

Nora chuckled, "Sorry to burst your bubble, sweetheart. Derek getting on your nerves?" she asked knowingly.

Casey sighed, "Not exactly… he's just a little ticked off with me right now."

"With you?" Nora raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"It's nothing to worry about", Casey said forcing a shrug. "We'll sort it out."

"Is he being an ass?" Nora asked rolling her eyes.

Case laughed, "_Mom_", she said incredulously. "I'm telling Derek you said the 'ass' word."

"I'm forty-five and in labor", Nora declared with a raised eyebrow, in typical mom-fashion, "I can say the 'ass' word if I want to."

Casey snickered, "You're such a Venturi. Maybe Marti's been rubbing off on you", she teased.

"I have been partial to purple and sparkles lately", Nora trailed off lightly. "Keep in mind later that this was probably the drugs talking."

"Will do. I hear Liz got my room", Casey said chuckling.

"You mind?" Nora asked quietly. "I forgot to tell you earlier."

Casey shook her head with a smile, "No. I don't mind. It's funny – after all the fighting that got me that room…"

Nora crossed her eyes, "It was _not_ funny", she argued. "What dimension were _you_ on? God, those days – I don't miss all that drama."

Casey shrugged, "At least Ed and Liz get along."

"They were young enough to accept the brother/sister dynamic. It wasn't your fault that you and Derek weren't, not really", Nora said thoughtfully. "I did hope that you two could at least be friends by now, though."

"We're… friendly", Casey said unconvincingly.

"Like a lion and a mouse", Nora laughed.

"Wait, am I the mouse? I don't want to be the mouse", Casey frowned.

"Then don't be the mouse", Nora said, like that would answer all her questions. And incidentally, it did.

George poked his head in then. He had a hand playfully covering his eyes, "Everything okay? Anyone… _crying_?" he gave a fake shudder.

Casey laughed, "That's Derek's line", she reminded.

"Oh, right", George said coming into the room. "I can handle f-f-f-_feelings _."

"Georgie", Nora scolded in amusement.

"Ready to go back to work?" George asked coming to sit in the chair on the other side of the bed.

Nora groaned, "No."

Casey leaned over to kiss her mom on the forehead, "You can do it, Mom. Kick ass", she chuckled. "I love you."

"Love you too, sweetie", Nora said smiling. "See you soon."

"Don't worry, I've got about a week before I need to get back", Casey said standing up. "Keep us posted, George."

"Will do, Case."

She was bombarded again by her siblings when she got back, and the all spoke at once.

"Is she okay?" Lizzie asked.

"Is she having a puppy?" Marti demanded sleepily chewing on a lion's head.

"What's going on?" Edwin asked.

"She's fine", Casey laughed. "Derek, she asked me if you were being an ass", she grinned.

"Nora said the 'ass' word?" he asked incredulously.

"That's what _I _said!" Casey said with a nod. "She told me she'd be blaming it on the drugs later."

0

Finally, around three in the morning, Simon arrived. Marti had fallen asleep against Derek's side and she was still half asleep when George came to get them. They followed George, Derek carrying her back to see Nora with the rest of his siblings behind him. They visited for a few minutes, but then George insisted that Derek took everyone else home and that he would stay the night at the hospital with Nora and be home sometime around breakfast in the morning. Lizzie and Casey went upstairs into the room they would now share whenever Casey came for a visit.

"Alright, Liz, dish", Casey commanded as the door closed, a preemptive strike against her own impending interrogation.

"Case, I'm beat, can we just go to bed?" Lizzie grumbled as they changed into pajamas.

"You've got news – spill it", Casey insisted, "Just the cliffs notes for tonight."

"_Fine_, but no squealing", she huffed sternly. "I've been dating this guy Matt from the soccer team. He's pretty cool."

"_And?_" Casey pressed, diving onto the bed.

"_And_, Derek wants to punch him because he saw us making out on the porch the other night when he got home", Lizzie finished exasperatedly.

Casey snorted out a laugh. "Uh-oh", she sang playfully, "Big brother on the loose."

"I'm nearly sixteen, Case, I don't need him dropping by at random to scare off my dates", she complained. "Can't you talk to him – get him to lay off?"

"Lizzie, I have my own beef with Derek right now. If you want to tell him to bugger off, go right ahead – but I won't get involved this time, okay?" Casey sighed. Then she rolled off the bed to her feet and went to wait in line for the bathroom.

"Dumb older sisters go to New York for a few months and then forget they live for fighting with Derek", Lizzie rambled under her breath, "Absolutely crazy."

0

Derek woke up a little after five-thirty and went downstairs intending to raid the refrigerator. Everything was dark except the light coming from the back porch. He groaned internally, hoping it wasn't Casey. He wasn't thinking clearly enough for that kind of discussion right now. He walked through the utility area and found the door unlocked. He stepped out and looked to his right, around the door towards the creaking swing. Not Casey.

"What're you doin' out here, Liz?" he asked curiously.

"Hey, Derek", she said quietly.

He crossed the porch and took a seat on the opposite end. He eyed the bottle in her hand incredulously. "Is that beer? Nora would murder you."

She smirked slightly. "Shows what you know."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked suspiciously.

"Mom and George decided that Edwin and I could have a drink every now and then, as long as it was at the house and Marti didn't see us", Lizzie said calmly. She leaned away, dodging his hand that stretched out to grab the half-empty bottle. "Go get your own."

He made an annoyed face. "Where the hell was this rule when I was in high school?" he complained.

She snorted incredulously. "Derek, do you remember what you were like in high school?" she laughed. "You would have tried to throw a kegger in our backyard."

His mouth twitched in amusement and he nodded in concession. "Yeah, alright, point taken. It's still weird seeing you drink though."

"We all gotta grow up sometime", she said quietly, staring into the backyard.

"Don't try to grow up too fast", Derek said seriously, his big brother senses kicking in. "Everything alright, Liz?"

She grimaced. "It's been a really long week", she said finally. "And tonight- sorry, never mind. I'm just tired. You don't need to listen to be bitch and moan about all this."

"_Liz"_, he sighed. His second try was successful at taking the bottle from her. "I think you've had enough of this." He downed the rest of it in two swallows, ignoring her mild protest. "Whatever you're trying to drown in booze… it can't be worth it. You McDonald girls-" Derek stood up and started pacing the porch. "I don't understand why you guys don't realize that you can do anything you want! It drives me _**crazy**__!_"

Lizzie raised her eyebrows. "Uh… Derek? Is everything alright?" she asked cautiously.

"Oh, sure! Everything's _**perfect**_**!** Casey throws her life away because a _**guy**_ tells her she can dance; you're out here choking down booze like it's going off shelves-"

"Derek!" she protested.

"-for who knows why, and _**nobody**_ listens to me!"

"Whoa, I think you need to calm down-"

"_**Don't**_ tell me to calm down- and I just nearly pulled a Casey", he muttered exasperatedly.

Lizzie snorted. Her step-brother was losing it. "D, I think you need to go back to sleep", she suggested.

"Can't sleep", he complained, "Wide freaking awake."

She squeezed his shoulder. "Alright, come on. I'm making coffee."

"You could go back to bed, you know", Derek pointed out.

"After today? Yeah right", she murmured sarcastically, standing up.

"Okay, what's the matter with you?" he sighed exasperatedly.

Lizzie turned on him with a glare. "You are not the only one of us with issues, ya know." Then she looked at the cement. "There's blood now. Ed and I may be best friends, Derek… but we aren't siblings." She headed into the house without another word, only pausing to make sure the door didn't slam.

Derek stared at the door in confusion after her. Seconds later when it dawned on him, he swore under his breath. He stayed outside for a few minutes, listening to the quiet noises from the kitchen, and finally made himself go inside. She was rummaging through the cupboards when he turned from locking the door.

"Liz-"

She cut him off immediately. "I hadn't intended to say that to anyone – especially you. I don't need you to say anything, okay? Edwin is with Heather, and I'm with Matt. Just forget I said anything."

"You get that obsessive need for denial from your sister, you know", he pointed out teasingly as he caught the coffee cup she pushed down the island towards him.

"Hey, don't knock the system. And do I really have to remind you about what happened with Sally?" she smirked.

"Okay, truce", he grumbled. "Venturi blackmail isn't nice, Lizzie."

"I learned it from you", she chuckled and grabbed the coffee pot once it was full, hitting the 'off' switch.

"Why didn't I know?" he asked curiously.

"Not your business", she said easily, filling her cup and then handing the pot over. "Besides, you haven't really noticed anything but Casey since we moved in here, not that I was advertising." Her tone was wry amusement, not accusing him of anything.

"Sorry, Liz", he said quietly.

She let out a bark of laughter. "Was that an apology? Where's Edwin's camera when I need it?" He rolled his eyes. The drink of coffee made him grimace. Lizzie grinned. "You forgot sugar."

00

**A/N: Okay! First chapter. I haven't written this fandom for a while, so I'm trying to get back into the groove. A lot going on in this chapter already – those of you who've read my other stories know I can't write short chapters, lol. Review and let me know how it went over. Thank for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Working on it – LWD**

**Summary: Set after the movie.**

**Disclaimer:**

_**Chapter 2**_

Casey woke up early the next morning despite the late night. She was surprised when she was coherent, to find that Lizzie wasn't in bed with her. Liz never got up before eight. Casey headed for the bathroom and took her shower, changing into a tank top and sweatpants before heading downstairs.

When she got to the kitchen, she stopped dead. Finally, she headed towards her original destination and leaned against the sink, staring curiously. This was new. "I'd say good morning, but you two look like crap", she raised her eyebrows.

"Didn't sleep", Lizzie moaned into her arm, face buried against the top of the island, "Third cup of coffee."

Derek just grumbled unintelligibly, probably swearing, from almost the same position Lizzie was in, with a barstool between them.

"Okay", Casey chuckled. "I'll let you two keep sleeping on the counter since you don't seem very chatty."

"Shut up, Casey", Lizzie grumbled, "Too loud."

Casey went to the fridge and began rummaging, grinning when she finally found her prize. This might incite a reaction. She bent down and dug the George Foreman Grille out of one of the bottom cupboards and plugged it in. It took her ten minutes to prep, but things finally started sizzling.

Derek finally brought his head up slowly, like he was trying to keep it from rolling off his neck. "What the hell are you doing, Case?"

"Making breakfast", she buried a laugh at his completely perplexed look.

"_Hamburgers?_" he asked incredulously.

"Casey's making hamburgers?" Lizzie questioned sleepily.

"I'll have you both know that I haven't eaten red meat in _months_", Casey sighed longingly. "I dreamt of dancing meat patties last night, and I'll be damned if I don't have one right this second."

"Hey, you know I enjoy a good burger", Derek shook his head with a laugh, "but that's not exactly a 'Casey approved' breakfast."

"Geez, now I'm starving", Lizzie complained.

"Good, make me some real breakfast", Derek grumbled at her.

"Lazy ass. Who says I'm cooking for you?" she turned to eye him in amusement.

"'Cause I'm your favorite older brother", he flashed a smarmy grin that made her burst out laughing.

"Fine, but I'm making scrambled eggs and toast. You want pancakes, make them yourself." She slowly pulled herself into a standing position and stuck her head in the fridge.

"I want bacon!" Derek insisted.

"Dammit, Derek!" she complained.

"Hey, I stayed up all night, and we both know I like my sleep. Get going Betty Crocker", he smirked.

"Watch it", Lizzie warned. "I'll go Tae Kwan Do on your ass."

"I'll make pancakes if you cook the bacon", he persisted.

She threw her hands up, eyeing Casey over her shoulder as she started loading tomato slices, pickles, and lettuce. "Alright, you win. I'll make your bacon – only because now I really want pancakes." The house phone started ringing. "And answer the phone."

"Slave driver", he muttered playfully. "You're worse than Casey."

"Hey!"

"Hey!"

"Venturi-McDonald house of insanity, we're out of strait-jackets", Derek said into the phone.

"_Derek!_"

"Derek?" George's voice came through the phone. "You're awake… who set the house on fire?"

"Hey, Dad. What's up?" he said easily.

"How are the kids?" George asked warily, still wondering why his eldest child was even awake, much less functioning well enough to answer the phone and be snarky.

"Good, how's the stepmom?" he chuckled.

"How's mom?" Casey called through her mouthful of burger.

"Nora's fine", George said calmly. "I'm on my way home. They're keeping her overnight for observation, and they'll both be able to come home tomorrow."

"Well, we're making breakfast. It should be mostly done by the time you get home", Derek offered.

"I don't know what that 'we' was for, Derek. I don't see you in here making pancakes", Lizzie complained even as she got out the box of Bisquick and the bag of chocolate chips along with the mixing bowl.

"You told me to answer the phone!" he retorted. "Give me a minute, woman."

"Derek, isn't it a little early for you to be harassing your step-sisters?" George chuckled tiredly.

"Can't you here them, Dad? I'm the victim here!" The laughter that followed that comment made him roll his eyes. "Just remember karma's a-"

"_Derek_", George cut him off.

"Yeah, yeah… I'll let you go so you can stop talking and driving. See you in a few." He hung up and went to the counter to start the pancake mix.

Twenty minutes later, Marti was also up and sitting on the counter – supervising the breakfast making, of course. Derek knew his baby sister was going to be a ball buster in the business world in the next fifteen years. Casey had set the plates out even though she had already eaten, and waited for George to come home and give them a full update.

Derek, Marti, and Lizzie were loading up their plates when George came in through the mud room looking completely exhausted.

"Daddy!" Marti called, jumping off the counter with a hand from Casey as she jumped into her father's arms.

"Hi, Munchkin", he kissed her cheek.

"Derek helped Lizzie make breakfast", she informed seriously.

"Did not!" Derek called, around a mouthful.

"We all _saw_ you Derek", Casey laughed.

"Again, _where_ is Edwin with his darn camera when I need it?" Lizzie teased.

"Thanks, Derek, Lizzie – nice to see my kids are getting along", George chuckled.

"Not getting along", Derek insisted. "They threatened me with Sporks and Tae Kwan Do."

"C'mon, D, you should know not to mess with the McDonald sisters by now", Lizzie gave him an exact replica of his own smirk. "We're dangerous. Grab a plate, George. Food's still hot. I made some more coffee."

"Tell me you aren't drinking anymore coffee, Liz", Derek grumbled. "It makes you bouncy like Casey."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Will you shut up if I get you another too?"

He gave her a thumbs-up with his free hand, and Casey took her opportunity to snitch another slice of bacon from his plate. "Casey, I'm gonna stab your hand with my fork if you don't put that back", he warned.

Casey leaned in his face a bit and took a bite. "Yummy."

Lizzie slid him his coffee before he could retaliate and started helping Marti cut her pancakes so George could eat his food. "Sugar?" Derek questioned.

She laughed, "Already in it – unless you don't trust me."

He took a sip warily, but bobbed his head in contentment. "Thanks, Liz. You're like… the Fairy God… Step-sister", he chuckled.

"Buy me wings or ballet slippers for Christmas, and I'll hurt you", she warned playfully, taking her seat again and began digging into her own pancakes.

"All you're doing is giving me ideas", he pointed out. He stole a piece of bacon from her pile.

"Derek!"

"Casey took mine!"

"I saw. I grabbed extra", she shook her head. _He was so predictable._ "Leave me two." And so he began rifling through her pile of bacon with his fork.

"I smell food."

Lizzie felt that inevitable punch in the gut. Apparently Edwin was now awake. If she hadn't opened her mouth last night, she wouldn't want a hole in the floor to magically appear on the floor and swallow her up. She turned, forcing normalcy. It had been almost a year.

"Hey, Ed. Come eat", she said easily. Then she promptly went back to eating. Not unusual since he wasn't a talkative morning person until he got some caffeine and food in his stomach.

Edwin wandered in the kitchen and began stacking his plate and set it down to get his own coffee. He sat down and finally took in his surroundings. "Hey, Dad", he said in surprise. "When'd you get here?"

George eyed his son in amusement. "About ten minutes ago."

"Oh… how's Nora?" he asked.

Everyone else perked up at that. They had wanted to let him eat first before asking for information.

"Nora's doing fine", George assured. "They'll be released tomorrow. I need some sleep, but I thought we could all head up their later this afternoon around two. Derek, you can follow in your car so you can drive them home. I'm going to stay tonight and drive them home in the morning. Okay?"

"Fine, but everyone else can ride with you on the way there. I hear Liz still needs to get in some driving hours", Derek said off-handedly.

Lizzie grimaced slightly. She had forgotten that she had told him that. She was even more surprised that he had remembered.

"You're going to let Lizzie drive _The Prince_?" Casey asked, astonished. "You barely let _me_ drive it, and it was half my car!"

Derek shrugged. "I like her better than you", he said easily.

"Is it really a good idea to let Derek give Lizzie driving instructions?" Casey asked George.

"Hey, I'm a great driver!" he defended.

"Der, _I_ taught you how to drive", Casey reminded, almost laughing.

He grinned. "Exactly, and with your super instructions, I passed with flying colors. Do you really doubt my instructing ability? Maybe you just didn't teach me well enough-"

"Oh, fine!" she rolled her eyes. "Liz, are you sure you can handle driving with Derek?"

"Geez, Casey, chill out. It's not like we're sneaking out of the house or something", she teased.

Derek coughed out a laugh.

"Don't hit my car", George muttered dryly.

"Don't worry, George. Unlike Derek, _I_ know how to use my mirrors", Lizzie grinned.

"Ouch, Liz, that hurts", Derek teased.

"Hurt your wallet", she snorted.

"Just for that, you can't control the radio", he threatened.

"As long as you don't go all 'screamo-metal head' on me, we're good", she rolled her eyes. "I, at least, can compromise."

"Don't say that in front of the little ears", Derek hissed dramatically.

Casey shook her head and started putting the leftovers away. "_Compromise_ is not a dirty word, Derek."

"Wash your mouth out with soap!" he covered his ears.

Lizzie got up and went to the sink to rinse off her plate and put it in the dishwasher. "Well, if we're not going to leave until this afternoon, I'm going back to bed", she yawned.

"Liz, how can you fall asleep after so much coffee?" Casey asked incredulously.

"It's a gift", she muttered. "I'll set my alarm; night, guys."

"I'm going to bed too", Derek grumbled behind her as he put his plate away. "If I don't sleep, I might kill someone."

"Derek, why are you even _up_?" Edwin asked curiously. "You're on vacation. You never get up before noon."

Derek gave his brother an even look. "I never went to bed."

Edwin just blinked in confusion at his siblings' curious behavior. He waited for George to go down to the basement bedroom and Marti went to take over the TV before looking at Casey. "What just happened?"

She shrugged. "Well, from what I saw this morning… I think they _didn't_ sleep – _together –_ all night long."

"Why?"

Casey raised an eyebrow, hoping her step-brother wasn't nearly as dense to the situation as he was acting. "Did you sleep well last night, Edwin?" she asked seriously

"Eh", he muttered, "You?"

"I woke up with Marti and seventy stuffed animals in my bed and I got violated by a dolphin. How do you think I slept?" she laughed.

He gave her a less arrogant version of Derek's smirk. "Sounds like a fun night."

Casey rolled her eyes.

0

Lizzie's alarm woke her up at twelve forty-five, and she dragged herself out of bed to grab up some clothes only to stumble into the bathroom to brush her teeth again and shower.

She was drying off with her towel when the pounding started on the bathroom door. "Lizzie, hurry up!"

_Derek._ No one else knocked on the door with the same amount of irritation he did – unless of course it was Casey, and Derek was the one hogging the bathroom. "Five minutes!" she yelled back. "Keep your pants on." She pulled her clothes on and spritzed her hair, hanging her towel on her hook before yanking the door open. He was leaning on the wall rather impatiently. She rolled her eyes as she passed. "Patience is a virtue, Derek."

"One I don't have", he called back.

_That was for sure._

They finally piled into the two cars and headed back to the hospital.

0

They got back from the hospital around four-thirty, leaving George there to stay overnight with Nora again, and Lizzie immediately went to her room to change. She came down the stairs, yelling, "I'm going for a run!" to whoever happened to hear and was stopped.

"Give me five minutes. I'll go with you", Derek came out of the kitchen with a bag of potato chips in hand. "Case, can you keep an eye on Marti?"

"Yeah", she called from where she was banging around in the kitchen.

"It's broad daylight, Derek. I'm fairly certain I won't get kidnapped. And you're looking a little out of shape… I don't know if you could keep up", she teased, folding her arms across her chest in amusement at his irritated scowl. That had been his excuse when he found her sneaking out early in the mornings before school during his senior year of high school – that she would get kidnapped or molested by random horny early birds. _He wasn't out of shape at all._

"Five minutes", he repeated as he took the stairs.

"Hurry up!"

He laughed. "Patience is a virtue, Liz."

She groaned. _She really should have seen that one coming._ But she went for her purse and shoved some money in her pocket.

He hurried anyway, most likely figured she might leave without him.

Casey came and settled on the couch as they left, giving Marti her coloring book and pencils to sit at the coffee table. She eyed Edwin who was sitting in Derek's chair. "When the heck did they get so chummy?" she asked curiously.

Edwin snorted. "Don't ask me. I just live here."

0

They ran two miles before Derek stopped them on a curb, both sucking in lungfuls of cooling air. "C'mon", he nodded down the next street. "We'll take the scenic route home."

She followed, matching his stride as they walked. Because taking the scenic route with Derek always ended in food.

"Hungry?" she chuckled.

"Casey was talking about tofurkey", he groused.

Lizzie grimaced. "Where're we going?"

"Arturo's… it's your turn to pay, you know", he peered down at her pointedly.

"I remembered. Money's in my pocket." She patted the left zipped pocket of her black SJSHS hoodie. "You know, one slice of their pizza will cancel out the run", she observed dryly as they walked up the next block the little restaurant.

His stomach growled. "That's the point."

"Yeah, yeah, let's feed you before you get cranky", she said, crossing the street.

They got seated at a booth by the window and Lizzie slouched down on her bench, partially unzipping her jacket as she stretched out her legs under the table, toes pointing to the floor. She mostly ignored that she was trapped in her seat as a thirty-something year old waitress came and got their order.

Derek had his feet propped on her bench on either side of her legs. She stared out the window idly, distractedly bending the toe of his left tennis shoe.

"You kind of suck at running away", he said quietly.

"I wasn't running away", she said automatically.

He raised a challenging eyebrow. "No?"

"It might have worked better if you hadn't come with me", she grumbled grudgingly.

"It's not that bad. How's sophomore year treating you?"

"I was going to come back." She smirked. "I'll be glad when high school is over period. How's college, Derek?"

"Hard. I actually have to _open_ my books", he made a face.

Lizzie wouldn't look at him. "Casey was supposed to go with you", she said softly. "Edwin's already looking at colleges. He wants to go to Ryerson… I just need to get away, but it'll take another two and a half years."

He nudged her thigh with his foot, making her look up. "There's always Queens."

0

**A/N: He-he, we're well on our way into the Land of Crazy! Review and let me know what you think so far. Reviews make me giddy and type with speedy fingers!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Working on it – LWD**

**Summary: Set after the movie.**

**Disclaimer:**

_**Chapter 3**_

"Casey, we need to talk."

She looked up and rolled her eyes. "I see college hasn't taught you how to knock yet", she muttered sarcastically.

Derek smirked. "I think they might cover that in second semester as an elective."

"What do you want?" she sighed.

"Just wondering what you're doing with your life", he shrugged.

"Derek…" Casey sighed. "Jesse made me remember how much I loved to dance – that part of myself that I was so willing to give up because I knew I wouldn't have time for it when I started college. I _**owe**_ him for that."

"No one asked you to give up dancing, Casey!" he growled exasperatedly. "You did that on your own, for whatever misguided reason. Quit taking the easy way out, Case. It's really starting to piss me off."

"_Easy?_ Are you serious?"

"Just… swallow your righteous indignation, alright? I'm not saying that your frou-frou, twirly, ballet crap isn't hard. But right now, you're not using it for an outlet; you're just avoiding reality. Start your life already", Derek muttered.

"Why can't you ever let anything go?" she sighed tiredly.

"Since when do _I_ have to nag _you_ to do the right thing?" he demanded. "If this is why I drive you crazy- you know what, just suck it up! You put yourself in limbo. Make a choice."

Casey let out a wry laugh. "Don't you get it? I made my choice. You made me, if you don't remember. I chose _our_ family. Do you have any _idea_ what it's been like working with Bernard Blue? It's been a dream come true."

He just shook his head. "You had other dreams once too, Case", he said quietly. Then he left her bedroom, pulling the door shut behind him.

0

Casey went to talk to Derek a few hours later, once her anger had abated, and found him on the front porch steps. She sat down on the landing, looking towards the sunset.

"It will be winter soon", she said softly.

"I was harsher than I meant to be earlier", he said seriously. "You look happy, Case. And I know that you of all people needed a break from academics."

She avoided his gaze. "I almost said no. It just seemed so… _crazy._ Putting off college- that's not me. It felt like I was avoiding responsibility."

"Why'd you say yes?"

She smiled, laughing slightly. "Something you said to me once", she admitted. "You won't hear it from me again, but you usually give pretty decent advice."

"Now I'm curious", he smirked. "What did I say?"

"That I could use some adventure in my life and needed to stop trying to plan my whole life out", she shook her head in amusement. "And when you declared my obsessiveness over graduation as 'Futuritis'… you were right. You inspired my speech, you know. I couldn't have written it without you."

"No kidding", he teased.

Casey laughed. "Hey!"

"I heard your speech. I had Edwin rewire the loudspeaker box", he smiled. "Although that was half because I was hoping you might manage to squeak in one more Klutzilla moment and take a head dive off the stage."

She slapped his shoulder. "I'll have you know that I am very well-balanced."

"Really, Case? You're just handing over opportunity for insults now. You're a total oxy-maroon."

She sputtered. "_Oxymoron_", she corrected dryly.

"You're talented, Casey. Why you can't manage a straight line is beyond me."

"Why'd you yell at me?" she asked quietly.

"Come on, Casey. Despite everything I say about you, I know you're not a total bonehead." He shot her a look. "Granted, your whole side of the family is absolutely _wacko_, if we ignore Aunt Fiona and Icky Vicky, they're really not that bad."

She smirked. "Uh-huh… go on."

Derek made a face. "Okay, before I say anything, I'm going to warn you that the following might be a bit… _complimentary_. So you have to promise not to take it personally."

She raised her eyebrows. "I'll do my best", she promised mockingly, although admittedly more than a little curious as to where this was going.

"I don't think I ever really understood you until this past summer, Casey. The way Felicia was- it explained a lot."

Casey winced. "The Webster women have always been headstrong."

"So are the Venturis", he smirked. "It's not a bad thing, you know – not when you're fighting for the right things."

"I guess that's what makes our family such a formidable opponents", she murmured. "What happened with Gran... Liz and I could _never_ have done that on our own. We needed you guys."

"You took a stand. That meant something. That was _everything._ I was so proud of Lizzie when she was talking to those news reporters. She gets so passionate about the things that are important to her. That whole 'take charge thing'- she gets it from you. Although I usually call you bossy", he joked.

Casey bumped him. "She gets it from you too, ya know? And I'll admit that I'm a better, more well-rounded person since your family came into our lives."

"Okay, maybe we've all rubbed off on each other a little bit", he shrugged. "You and Lizzie can _infuriate_ the hell out of me sometimes, but-" he scrubbed his hands over his face in frustration at the length of this potentially mushy conversation.

Casey just smirked. "I won't make you say it", she teased.

"Say _what?_" he grumbled.

"That you _love_ us", she sing-songed lightly.

"_Ech_" he feigned gagging noises. "Do not" he protested weakly.

"S'okay", she murmured. "We have warm, fuzzy feelings for you too – sometimes. Besides, you haven't done anything completely selfish in years, and overall, you're a pretty decent guy, Venturi."

He chuckled and then turned serious. "I was angry because I thought you were throwing your future away. I didn't want you to get caught up and _forget_. I still refuse to compare dance to hockey, _but_ I know you love it. I just want you to remember that you have other options – things you love, things that are important to you. Do what you need to do. But do it for you. Not someone else. Make yourself happy, and you won't have any regrets. Only you know what you want from life, Casey. Don't be so single-minded. Remember to relax every once and a while."

"Thank you, Derek" she said quietly. "Are we okay now?"

"Any future enemies of this family are completely screwed, you know?" he laughed, going completely off topic.

"We make a good team", Casey nodded. "Despite the differences we've had, we still always managed to get it together when it was important."

"_Had?_" he asked incredulously. "You and I only get along under duress."

"Not true! We just don't admit it", she rolled her eyes. "And we keep our lives interesting."

"We may not be siblings… but family means something different."

"Family doesn't always have to mean blood", Casey said seriously.

He nodded. "You and Liz don't understand how much you're capable of sometimes. So it drives me _crazy_ when I see you guys do stupid crap or act all insecure and dramatic."

"_Insecure and dramatic?"_ she repeated incredulously.

He rolled his eyes. "_Truman_, Casey?" he reminded pointedly.

Her face scrunched. "Yeah, okay. Point taken. You know… it turns my world upside down when you're right."

"Yup", he laughed. "It's a double win for me. Just know that when you come out into the real world, you've got someone behind you."

"Well, that confirms my stalking theory", she grinned.

"We're okay, Case. Just try to stay in touch, yeah?"

"I want to go to college, Derek. I just need to do this first", she said quietly. "I don't want to look back and wonder if I missed anything."

"Yeah, well, if you're missing homework… I can always email you some of mine", he grins.

She shoves him.

0

George came home with Nora and the newest member of the family, Simon David Venturi, late the next afternoon. Casey had straightened the house into something acceptable and was starting dinner with Lizzie's help when they arrived.

Nora and the baby were pretty much _huddled_ once she was relegated to the chaise lounge. She looked tired but mostly relaxed.

"I'm very happy the five of you managed not to burn the house down", she smiled fondly.

"Oh, yeah, I hid the matches from Casey", Derek agreed. "And we tried not to let her use the oven more than once. And I had Ed on standby with the fire extinguisher."

Casey sighed and smacked Edwin's arm. "That explains the unnecessary hovering", she muttered.

"Hey!" Edwin complained. "I thought you were 'anti-violence'!"

She sniffed with an unbelievable amount of false piousness. "That rule does not apply to the Venturis."

Derek snickered. "Most of Casey's rules have amendments by now – if they haven't been blown out of the water altogether."

"Ain't that the truth", she grumbled good-naturedly.

Lizzie grinned. "_Ain't_? Really, Case?"

Casey waved her off. "Eh", she shrugged.

Marti was sitting on the arm of the chair, Derek standing behind her in case she lost her balance, as she peered into the sleeping baby's face.

"What color are his eyes?" Edwin asked curiously. Simon hadn't opened his eyes wide enough for them to tell while they were in the hospital.

Nora smiled. "I think you should wait and see", she teased.

There was a mutual groan. This was the first and most likely last, McDonald-Venturi, and they had all been quite curious about what he would look like. And Edwin, Marti, and Lizzie had a bet going on.

"_Oh_", Casey murmured quietly. "He's waking up."

"It looks like you're all watching an egg hatch", George chuckled under his breath.

Finally, Simon blinked his eyes open fully.

"Drat", Lizzie muttered. "Ed, you and I owe Marti five bucks each."

"Crap."

"_Yes!_ I knew it", Marti bounced on her knees lightly.

"What were you kids betting on this time?" George rolled his eyes.

"We were guessing what color Simon's eyes were going to be", Edwin explained. "Marti was right. She thought they'd match Casey's."

"Let's hope he doesn't have Casey's mouth too", Derek murmured.

Casey snorted. "Or yours, for that matter", she pointed out sending him an amiable smile.

He smirked. "Dad, I think you and Nora are going to have a handful with this one."

"Well, with the bad influence of his oldest siblings in the house, he might be alright", Edwin wiggled his eyebrows.

"Yeah, you essentially shoved all of Casey's _Casey-ness_ and Derek's _Derek-ness_ into the poor kid", Lizzie shook her head, wide-eyed at the thought. "Yikes."

"Hey!"

"Hey!"

"I want my money", Marti reminded.

"Fair's fair", Lizzie muttered. "We'll get it when we go upstairs. Okay?"

"Fine", she grumbled.

"Can I hold him, Mom?" Casey asked softly, fingertips brushing the fine baby hairs on his head.

Nora nodded. "Sure, hon."

"Why's Casey always get him first?" Derek complained.

Nora rolled her eyes. _Always? Twice._ "She _asked _first. You two better not start fighting over your brother like the TV remote", she warned.

"No worries, Nora. I won't tackle Case when she's holding the kid – at least not until he's older", he added jokingly.

"Do they have helmets for babies?" Casey wondered absently, snuggling Simon to her chest.

"Dropped on your head a lot, huh, Space Case?" Derek laughed.

"_No_, but I think you were", she retorted quietly. "That's the only logical explanation for your _Derek-ness_."

"Do _not_ make my name into an adjective", he grumbled.

"Lizzie _said_ it", Casey pointed out frowning. "And she used my name too."

"D, you made your name into a _holiday_", Edwin chuckled.

"Who's side are you on?" Derek griped.

"Casey, you need to check on dinner", Lizzie reminded. "It smells about done."

"Gimme!" Derek insisted, taking Simon gently out of Casey's arms. "Make sure you didn't burn dinner."

"Why do I get the feeling we won't be holding our child very often?" Nora asked George wryly.

He chuckled. "Simon's got five older siblings fighting for his attention."

"Poor kid", Edwin muttered.

"_Dinner's done._"

0

The week passed by quickly, and soon Casey was headed back to New York, and Derek went back to Queens, leaving their respective siblings and parents to get used to the newest family member.

0

**A/N: I **_**know**_** I'm awful to stop here, but the next chapter will have some Lizzie/Edwin I think… Review and tell me what you think so far.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Working on it – LWD**

**Summary: Set after the movie.**

**Disclaimer:**

_**Chapter 4**_

_**A/N:**__ (__**Spoilers Summary:**__ for those who are confused… from Wikipedia: '_Casey and Derek are back and continue their sibling rivalry during a family vacation to visit their grandmother, Felicia at her beautiful lakefront lodge. Things heat up with Casey when she meets Jesse, a young dancer who happens to be a waiter at the lodge. Meanwhile, as Derek is "chilling" on his vacation, he falls for Roxy, the rich girl who lives across the lake. But when Roxy's father, a greedy land developer, threatens to destroy the natural beauty around them, the McDonald-Venturi kids bond together to save the lake and the lodge – with a little legal help from George and Nora who are having a baby.' **They save the lake, with a talent show, and celebrate.**_)_

_0_

_**Flashback**__: After the end of the movie, but before the scene after the credits._

"_You've gotten awfully manipulating and pushy lately", Derek mused as the screen door to the porch slammed closed behind him._

_Lizzie smirked, not turning around from the railing. "Yeah, well, you've gotten pretty helpful lately, which is __**way**__ more shocking."_

"_I resent that", he chuckled, bumping her shoulder as he stood next to her._

"_Thank you", she said quietly, "for all your help."_

"_Eh", he shrugged. "I was bored."_

_Her eyes rolled. "You still can't admit that you did something nice just because it was the right thing to do. We all know you're inherently lazy, Derek. But you always come through when it's important."_

"_Do you __**want**__ to go in the lake?"_

_She laughed. "No thank you. It's cold._"

"_So… am I still slime?"_

_She grinned up at him. "Sorry about that", she said half-heartedly._

_Derek folded his arms in mock seriousness and raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh", he prompted skeptically. "That's not entirely believable, you know."_

_She giggled and bit her cheek until she curbed her amusement. "No, Derek, you're not slime", she repeated seriously._

"_You know I don't tolerate mutiny."_

_She snorted. "If you want to have a serious conversation, you've got to stop saying ridiculous crap. Besides, that wasn't a mutiny against you, Pirate Pete", she sniggered._

"_**Hey!**__" he practically yelped. "No one's supposed to talk about that!"_

_Lizzie smirked, "Yeah, yeah. In any case… you probably won't have time during college to keep us all under your thumb."_

_He grimaced. "Maybe not… but during vacation time, look out. My throne will __**not**__ be usurped."_

"_Edwin's gonna take your recliner", she chuckled._

"_Yeah, you think I could fit that in my dorm room?" he asked thoughtfully._

"_I doubt it." She rolled her eyes. "You'd have to cram it in your trunk first anyhow – or strap it to the roof. That would probably kill The Prince though."_

_Derek grimaced. "True", he grumbled._

"_You're gonna have to get a new car eventually", she pointed out._

"_Don't say that. It might hear you!" he hissed. Then he grinned. "You're gonna be the oldest sibling in the house."_

"_Someone's gotta keep Edwin in line", Lizzie rolled her eyes._

"_Yeah, good luck with that", he snorted._

"_I'm scarier than you", she wiggled her eyebrows._

"_I will neither confirm nor deny that", he retorted dryly. "But, hey, I don't know what the hell Casey's doing, but I'm only gonna be a few hours away. So if you need anything, call, okay?"_

_She nodded lightly. "I might take you up on that", she murmured. They stood silently for a moment before Derek cleared his throat. And then he did it again. Lizzie gave him the eye. "What?" she demanded finally._

"_Sorry- I think I might throw up mushy word vomit", he grumbled._

_She choked on a laugh and looked away, smile quirking at her lips. "You don't have to."_

"_Yeah… I do. None of this would have happened without you, Liz. And even if it hadn't worked out, it was still the right thing to do. This was beyond amazing. I'm really proud of you."_

_She groaned. "I appreciate the sentiment, but please stop before everything gets awkward and emotional. You've been awfully philosophical lately."_

"_Yeah, blame Casey. I do", he rolled his eyes._

"_Point taken."_

"_Where'd you go during the party?" he asked curiously._

_She bit her lip, flushing slightly, "Went for a walk."_

"_With someone?" he prompted, sounding half giddy._

_She crossed his eyes at him, "None of your business."_

"_Sure it's my business. So… you play tonsil hockey with the bird kid?"_

"_Oh, my god, Derek. Shut up", she muttered exasperatedly, flushing even darker._

"_**Oh**__, that's a yes", he teased._

_She face palmed. "Don't tell Casey", she pleaded. "She'll do that high-pitched squealing thing that hurts your ears."_

"_Do I __**look**__ like a gossip to you?" he demanded, affronted._

_Her eyes widened comically, "Uh, __**yes**__."_

"_I'm offended by that", he groused._

"_Okay, okay", she chuckled. "Chill out, bro. Oh, and since you're leaving… I want the duck."_

"_How do you know I have Mr. Quackers?"_

_Casey had won a stuffed duck at the fair over spring break. It had sat on her bed for a while before Marti stole it. Then Edwin had gotten a hold of it. Derek had taken it after that for some reason, and then Lizzie had found it on one of the shelves of the Games' Closet. She thought Marti had snitched it again after that. But it had turned into a sort of mascot – and had given them all something to do. And it completely __**ruined**__ all of the demands for privacy in their house because everyone was always searching high and low for that damned duck._

_Lizzie and Casey had gotten very good at hiding their journals. There were only three rules. One: no one else could know who had hidden the duck last, so there was no teaming up. Two: whoever ran across it, accidentally or not, had to find a new hiding spot for it without getting caught. And three: nothing else could be taken if it was found in a bedroom._

_She grinned. "I saw him sticking out of your closet before we left. I didn't have time to grab him without getting caught."_

_He mock pouted, "Fine. He'll turn up in your room when we get back."_

_The screen door squeaked open behind them._

"_Apparently, we're being suckered into more 'family time'", Edwin announced under his breath. "Dad and Nora said to come inside."_

_Derek groaned, "Seriously? I am __**not**__ playing charades."_

_Lizzie snickered. "Just, uh…" she stood on one foot and held an arm extended over her head. "Be a flamingo", she suggested._

"_You're about a half step from doing the Egyptian dance, Liz", Edwin chuckled._

_Lizzie stuck her tongue out. "Don't be jealous just because you can't do the Flamingo without __**falling over**__."_

_Derek smothered a laugh. "Okay, let's go inside and get this over with. I want Lizzie and Marti if we play charades."_

"_Because Edwin and Casey are gravitationally challenged", Lizzie teased._

"_You bet."_

"_Hey!"_

_They went inside and found the rest of the family sprawled on beds and couches._

"_Okay, so who's idea is it for this 'family time' torture?" Derek complained mildly, scooping up Marti and sitting with her in his lap on the couch._

"_Mine, Derek", Nora rolled her eyes. "And it's not torture. Torture would be saying our family is going on a health kick the week before you leave for college."_

"_Don't even joke about that!" Derek looked at her appalled._

_Lizzie took the spot on the end of the couch and Marti crawled in between her legs. Lizzie grabbed the hairbrush and began untangling the girl's hair before dividing it into sections to give her French braided pigtails._

_Derek pouted at Marti for leaving him making her giggle. "Sorry, but you can't braid, Smerek."_

_Casey was sitting on one of the bottom bunks with Edwin who kept stealing her washable markers she was using to color a pair of white tennis shoes. And Nora and George were sitting on the other couch._

"_So, it seems like we have a lot to celebrate tonight", George said, finally, interrupting all the side conversations. "You kids did a huge thing saving this place. And you did it together – with a less than usual amount of fighting… I hope." There was a smatter of laughing._

"_Derek threw me in the lake", Edwin complained._

_Lizzie snorted. "Casey was the only one who didn't even get __**threatened**__."_

"_I almost went in the lake too", Marti added._

"_Yeah, until Lizzie saved your butt", Derek smirked and pinched her leg lightly._

"_By using manipulation and trickery", Casey grumbled under her breath, fighting a grin. "Which I'm still not sure I condone…"_

"_Hey, it's the only way to outsmart Derek", Lizzie shrugged._

"_That might be giving him a little too much credit", Edwin teased._

"_Now, see, __**that's**__ how you ended up in the lake before", Derek shook his head in mock disappointment. "Stop talking, Ed."_

"_Did we say we __**missed**__ the kids earlier?" George fake whispered at Nora._

"_**Hey!"**_

_The loud resounding complaint from all five of their children sent Nora into a fit of giggles. "Anyways", she tried a few minutes later, once she got herself under control. "We just wanted to say that we are just bursting at the seams with pride. You guys really came together when it mattered."_

"_We always do", Casey said quietly._

_They all heard crickets… because- well, it was true, but they didn't __**talk**__ about it. Deny, deny, deny…_

_Derek finally groaned. "Way to ruin it, Case." She grinned and tossed a marker in his direction making Lizzie and Marti duck. Surprisingly, Derek caught it. He smirked. "Getting better with your aim", he teased._

_Casey stuck her tongue out._

"_Wait", George interrupted. "Who's been cooperating under our noses?"_

_Derek and Casey traded looks, wondering how long before their sibling would inevitably spill the beans._

"_I think __**cooperation**__ is a bit too strong of a word", Derek muttered under his breath finally._

"_Except it's really not", Lizzie rolled her eyes. "Do we need a recap?"_

"_**No!"**_

_Edwin snorted. "Oh, I really think we should", he grinned._

"_I think you should too", Nora said raising an eyebrow._

"_Like the time Casey sold stuff for Derek when he had the chicken pox and then he bought her a cell phone?" Marti reminded._

"_It was __**not**__ drugs", Casey insisted at the looks from their parents._

"_You almost staged an intervention!" Derek complained exasperated._

"_Who told Marti?" Casey retorted trying not to grin._

"_Shutting up", Derek mumbled._

"_Or when Derek stuck up for Casey at Smelly Nelly's and quit his job", Lizzie added._

"_Oh, you mean right before we found you and Edwin playing my guitar and jumping on Casey's bed?" Derek raised an eyebrow._

"_And after he fired me", Casey rolled her eyes._

"_Face it, you were a crappy waitress", Derek smirked, "__**Riley.**__"_

"_Mopeds are '__**cool**__'?" she batted her eyes innocently. "Suck up."_

"_Or when Casey scared Ryan off from beating up Derek", Edwin said gleefully. "That's one of my favorites."_

_George and Nora watched the verbal ping-pong match warily, suddenly feeling like they were no longer needed to supervise their children._

"_Yeah, I think I stole Casey's make-up that day", Derek chuckled. "He took one look at her face and-"_

"_Der-__**ek**__" Casey groaned._

"_No worries, Case", Edwin winked. "Sam told me the truth. He also said Max looked quite comfortable in the pink shorts he kept as spares in his gym bag."_

_Casey punched him and Derek made no effort to hide his laughter._

"_He didn't even come after us!" Derek snickered. "What a wuss."_

"_Actually, he said he couldn't run in those shorts", Casey muttered, hiding her giggles._

"_Oh, my god", Lizzie grimaced. "I didn't need that visual, guys."_

"_I liked when Derek danced with Casey on TV", Marti interrupted._

_Casey raised an eyebrow at Derek trying to hide behind a pillow. "I'll admit that was nice of him – even if he __**was**__ blackmailed", she allowed._

"_About as nice as you getting him hooked up with Kendra __**and **__Sally", Lizzie sighed. "And keeping your grade grubber reputation to help him pass English… and then studying for midterms last year-"_

_Derek kicked her thigh lightly, only to have his shin slapped by Marti who was still in Lizzie's lap._

"_Smerek, be nice", she scolded severely._

"_**But**__", Casey continued, hiding a smile, "That's still not the nicest thing Derek ever did."_

"_Casey-" Derek started suspiciously._

"_Helping with Summer Camp?" Marti asked._

"_Yeah, let's go with that", Derek nodded emphatically._

"_Der, you let the kids paint me", Casey grimaced._

"_Saving you from Truman and Icky Vicky?" Lizzie guessed._

_Derek blinked rapidly, and then glared at George and Nora. "Aren't you going to make them stop picking on me?" he demanded._

"_No", George said slowly, "I'm somewhat enlightened by this conversation."_

"_Me too… but I'm also confused", Nora muttered, rubbing the furrow between her eyebrows._

"_You guys don't get to tell me I have to be nice to Casey __**ever**__ again", Derek grumbled._

"_So what __**was**__ the nicest thing Derek did for you?" Lizzie asked, suddenly very curious._

_Casey made a face. "I don't think I should say…" she hedged._

"_Good idea!" Derek agreed._

"_**Casey!**__"_

_Casey ignored them momentarily to pick at the aglet of her shoelace until Edwin pried it away from her. She glanced over at Nora, an odd look crossing her features, before she answered. "Derek called Dad after that horrible dinner from hell and told him to come back. He missed his flight to come back and apologize." Casey chanced a look at Derek who was sitting statue still, hoping to be ignored._

"_He wasn't supposed to tell you that", Derek muttered._

_Casey shook her head. "He didn't", she said quietly. "I guessed and he just confirmed it. I didn't think you'd want me to acknowledge it, so I never said anything. And just so you get it, I'm aware your phone call made serious use of the term 'royal jackass'. I didn't yell at you for that either."_

_Derek winced. "You were… like five seconds from crying in the kitchen. And if you'll remember correctly, I was the only one who came to check on you", he nearly scowled. "I'm half oblivious and even __**I**__ knew that things hadn't gone well. You know, other than the fact that you tried to burn the house down", he smirked tightly._

_She grinned. "Jerk."_

"_Princess." He rolled his eyes._

"_So… we've been worried for nothing?" Nora asked incredulously. "All this getting along behind our backs", she muttered._

"_Okay, so we may all not always like each other", Derek shrugged reluctantly. "But we're family."_

"_That's it. We're putting in Nanny Cams", Nora sighed._

"_Just in time for Derek and Casey to move out?" Edwin complained. "Fat lot of good that'll do us oppressed middle kids now."_

"_And you'll still be the oppressed middle kid", Derek said jovially. "Lizzie's the next oldest, so I think she should get my chair – only because she pointed out it won't fit in my trunk."_

_Lizzie held out her hand for a fist bump and tried not to giggle at the look on Edwin's face._

"_Derek! That's not-"_

"_I'm kidding", Derek placated. "You'll have to wrestle over it", he snickered._

_Edwin groaned. "Great. I have to defend myself from Tae Kwon Barbie."_

"_Did you just call me a Barbie?" Lizzie glared menacingly._

"_Um, no?" Edwin tried, looking like a deer in the headlights._

"_**Edwin!**__"_

"_So? Are we coming back for vacation next summer?" Derek chuckled._

"_**You**__ want to come back next summer?" Casey asked incredulously._

_He shrugged. "What can I say? It was a good vacation."_

00

Lizzie had walked to Marti's school and picked her up so they could walk home together. Edwin usually was with them, but he had a meeting with the debate team after school. So they walked home in the crunchy, frozen snow, bundled up to their ears in hats, scarves, and gloves.

They got home, and peeled off their winter wear. Lizzie and Marti went into the kitchen, and Marti climbed onto a barstool as Lizzie pulled out three mugs and started making hot cocoa. Because of her detour, Edwin would be home soon.

Lizzie had a plate of marshmallows on the island between her and Marti on a plate with some pretzels. They were blowing on their hot beverages and she listened to Marti prattled on about her day and how she built a snowman with Dimi and Isabelle during recess. She was going on about how Rachel had poured blue paint on Shawn's head during art class, and Rachel had gotten in trouble, and Shawn's mom had come to pick him up when the front door opened again.

"Liz?" Edwin called.

"In the kitchen!" Marti yelled back with a mouthful of marshmallows.

"Hey!" he greeted jovially. "Did you leave me any hot chocolate?"

"On the stove", Lizzie acknowledged.

"Awesome!"

"How was your nerdy meeting?" she teased.

"The people on the debate team aren't nerds", he sighed, "Except Tinker Tomlin's brother Topher. He's a nerd _and_ a moron", Edwin complained, taking a seat at the island with his mug and started ripping the large marshmallows and dropping them into his cup.

"What'd he do this time?" Lizzie laughed.

Edwin groaned. "He just has the _stupidest_ ideas. It's like he doesn't hear the words coming out of his mouth." His phone buzzed on the counter and he flipped it open. He stared at the text in confusion before cracking up laughing.

"Who's that from?" Lizzie asked absently as he cackled.

"Derek", he managed.

"Oh", she smirked. "The squirrel one?" she queried.

"How'd you know?"

She laughed. "I sent it to him yesterday morning."

"Where'd you get it?"

She snorted. "Jaime."

"Figures", he chuckled.

She laughed and answered her phone, putting it on speaker phone. "Making the rounds harassing your siblings, D?"

He chuckled. "You bet. What's up?

"You're on speaker with Edwin and Marti, so behave", she warned. It was amusing that she had to say that at all, but Derek had been quite unpredictable lately. She wondered occasionally if he was trying to get his 'Casey fix' through her. But those thoughts were almost always dismissed immediately. It wasn't the same. Lord knew he drove her batshit sometimes, like when he had tried teaching her hockey. And that had started off with him trying to prove Casey wrong – but, in the end, he had helped her. Okay, so he had helped her by pissing her off, but it had worked. He knew what he was doing more often than not.

"Smarti?"

"Hi, Smerek!"

"What's up kiddo?"

"I see how it is", Edwin muttered teasingly. "Forget you even have a brother, why don't ya?"

"Hey, Ed? Can I borrow fifty bucks?" Derek laughed.

"I'm not here!" Edwin called back even though he didn't get up to leave. "And no, you can't!"

"I'm just kidding", Derek reassured, smirking. "What are you guys doing?"

"Just chillin'", Lizzie munched on a pretzel. "Mom picks up Robbie from daycare at four-thirty and get home around five-ish. George gets home around five-thirty. It's Thursday-"

Edwin's phone beeped again. "And that's Dad", he chuckled. "Predictable. What do you guys want from the Chinese place?"

"Get the take-out menu", Lizzie pointed at the basket that held the paper pamphlets. "I want that rice and vegetable bowl and some egg drop soup and spring rolls."

"Eat much?" Edwin teased.

She shot a stray rubber band at him that hit his forehead.

"Ow! Damn, I was just kidding!" he chuckled.

Marti had confiscated the phone and was chattering at Derek. "-and Lizzie made us hot cocoa! She does it the best you know-"

Derek chuckled. "Yeah, Smarti, I remember."

"-and did she tell you we slept in your bed? Not last night, but before that", Marti continued rambling on another tangent before he could respond.

Lizzie winced and Edwin raised both eyebrows at her. 'You did _what_?' he mouthed incredulously.

She flushed. "It was _raining!_" she hissed pointedly, glancing towards Marti briefly. "The thunder woke her up", she murmured quietly. "I couldn't very well say '_no_', now could I?"

Edwin was still giving her his demented version of the 'crazy eyes'. "He's gonna embarrass the hell out of you, ya know."

"Maybe", she muttered grudgingly. It was entirely possible. But he wouldn't fault her for giving into Marti's wishes.

"Smerek, a new episode of _Degrassi_ is on in a minute. Ed and I need to watch it! You can talk to Lizzie now!" Marti insisted, sliding the phone across the island and gulping the last few sips of her hot chocolate down. She hopped off the stool and grabbed Edwin's arm, pulling him behind her.

He barely managed to grab his mug to take with him. "Hey! Don't I get a say in this?" he complained.

"No!" the girl chirped as they went into the living room.

"Don't whine, Edwin", Lizzie called laughing. "You know you've got the hots for Stacey Farber."

"Bite me", he hollered back indignantly.

"Stacey Farber?" Derek chuckled.

"Hey, at least she's hot", Lizzie acknowledged with a bit of amusement. She picked up her phone and turned off the speaker. "Alright", she sighed. "They're gone. Go ahead."

He laughed. "Go ahead with what?"

"Derek!"

"_So?_" he drawled. "How comfy is my bed?"

She groaned. "Shut _up._"

"Why'd you guys have a slumber party in my room?"

"Thunderstorm", Lizzie said quietly. "And you know good and well, no one can say no to your baby sister. And yes. Your bed is quite comfy. I plan on stealing it."

"Ha-ha", he chuckled dryly.

"Did you call for a specific reason, or did you just want to bother me?"

"I just wanted to bother you", he said, sounding very happy with himself.

"Well, congratulations, D. You've succeeded." Lizzie rolled her eyes.

"Hey. If I'm not bothering you, I'm not doing my job", Derek insisted.

She sighed, "Yeah, yeah." And then she started talking his ear off for his trouble.

00

**A/N: And that's chapter four. Review! And all you lazy bums who just added me to your alert list… *tisktisk* And thanks! REVIEW!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Working on it – LWD**

**Summary: Set after the movie.**

**Disclaimer: Yep, I own LWD. No, I don't. Don't sue me.**

**Rated: M**

**A/N: Ummm…. Bad words…**

_**Chapter 5**_

Two weeks before Christmas:

Lizzie was in her room after dinner with the door locked so she could wrap presents. She had a CD blaring music from her speakers, and the television was loud enough because of some sports game going on that no complained about her noise.

It was nearing nine o'clock when there was a knock on her door. Well, it sounded more like someone was _kicking _her door.

"I'm busy!" she yelled.

There was more kicking.

"Ugh, geez, _okay!_" she grumbled. Lizzie got up from the floor and made sure the last few things that were still not wrapped were out of sight before yanking her door open. "What- _hey!" s_he was startled to see her Derek in the hallway holding two bowls of ice cream. "What are you doing here? I thought you were driving up tomorrow…"

He shrugged. "I got bored. Gonna let me in?"

She raised an eyebrow and gestured to the bowls he carried. "Do I get one of those?"

"Nope", he replied seriously. "I'm gonna eat them both."

Lizzie took one from him with a grin and took a bite of _Chunky Monkey._

"I already ate out of that one", he deadpanned as she backed up to sit on her bed.

"Yummy", she said with a mouthful, "Germs."

He chuckled and kicked the door shut. Derek sent a pointed look at the stereo on her dresser. "That's mine."

"It was. Now it's not", she shrugged.

"_You stole-_"

"You said I could", she smirked.

"No, I didn't!"

Her head tilted thoughtfully. "Huh", she murmured. "Maybe Edwin said I could borrow his magnifying lamp…"

He stared at her incredulously. "That's not the same thing at all."

"It's really not, is it?" she laughed. "You haven't been in your room? When'd you get here?"

"About an hour ago", he shrugged. "Dad made me watch the end of the basket ball game – it was a rerun."

Lizzie laughed out loud. "How much money did you bet him?"

"Just twenty bucks", Derek smirked. He eyed the mess in her usually clean room. "Presents?"

She nodded. "I was almost done."

"Where's mine?"

"I didn't draw your name this year", she shook her head as he sat on the edge of her studying desk.

"Who'd you get?"

"Marti", she said quietly. "I found this really awesome kids' scientist kit. She's been trying to steal Edwin's stuff. She put one of his experiments in the fridge and Mom almost fed it to us for dinner."

"Gross," he laughed. "Who the hell taught Casey to cook?"

"Gran, believe it or not", she chuckled.

"Felicia can cook?"

"So, she's not the baking type, but, yeah, her cooking is the best. We saw her more when we were younger – before the divorce. Mom does breakfast okay, but she's better at baking – at least when she's not frazzled."

"Are things quieter without me and Casey fighting?"

She shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. It's different, anyways. Less yelling, but still loud – crying baby and all that", Lizzie finished with a quiet laugh. She finished her ice cream and set the bowl on her night table. "Not that I don't appreciate the ice cream, but what are you doing up here?"

"Dad fell asleep and started snoring after the game was over and Ed switched it to the history channel. Marti's fell asleep on the couch half an hour ago, even though it's Friday. Nora said you've been locked in here since after dinner, and said you were pissed at the world today. I thought I'd make sure you were alive", he said mildly. "She took Simon down to the basement to sleep. I think she's reading a book."

She groaned, "_Seriously?_ I _told_ Mom I was wrapping presents. Of course she chooses _now_ to overreact."

"Now opposed to when?"

Lizzie glared at him. "Everything's fine. Just because I'm not Casey and don't have to get everyone involved if I'm upset doesn't mean I'm not allowed to have a bad day every once in a while without getting the third degree!"

"I thought you said everything's fine?" he raised an eyebrow and set his empty bowl down as well.

"It _is_. I just had a long ass day, and wanted some privacy for a few hours. I got it. Now I'm fine."

"Fine is just another word for bullshit; and you know it."

"Is that what they taught you in college?" she asked skeptically. "I wouldn't pay for that crap."

"Smartass", he chuckled. "You don't have to tell me. It's not like I actually _like_ talking about stuff."

"No kidding."

He shot her a peeved look. Because, _hello_, he was doing the whole _feelings_ thing right now, and she wasn't paying attention. "You can though – if you want. I'm just saying."

She grimaced, "Yeah, thanks but no." Lizzie got up and turned off her stolen stereo, before nodding at Derek. "Bottom drawer", she ordered, switching on her TV and Xbox system.

He blinked in confusion. "What's in the bottom drawer?"

"Oh, stop being so suspicious. Like I'd have you go through my underwear drawer", she rolled her eyes and walked over, pushing him out of the way to get at what she wanted, holding up her prize seconds later. She held out the case. "Wanna play?"

"What the-? Liz, where'd you get this?!" he sputtered, eyeing her _Call of Duty: Black Ops II_ the multi player game lustfully. "This isn't even out yet."

"Perks of being friends with the AV club nerds", she smirked, snatching it from him neatly and putting it in the open tray.

"Does Edwin know you have that?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Nope", she said mildly. "He's been acting like an ass-face."

"Want me to hit him?" Derek chuckled, untangling the remote cords.

She smirked and shook her head. "No. He's still trying to figure out who put blue gelatin mix in the bottle of hair gel he keeps in his locker."

"Oh, damn", he snorted. "Nice one." He held out his hand for a fist bump and she answered with a grin. "This is why you're my favorite step-sister."

"Don't get mad, get even?"

"Exactly."

She took her remote and they settled on her bed. "Let's play."

0

It was nearing midnight when George made his way upstairs after Edwin to carry Marti to bed. Edwin continued up to the attic and George folded Marti under her blankets, thankful she was already wearing pajamas, so he only paused to kiss her goodnight and flick on her nightlight before closing the door. The dark hallway only caused the one single stream of light coming from under Lizzie's door to be even more apparent.

He frowned curiously. She usually went to bed early. He noticed that Derek's room was open and dark, and decided to check things out.

As he approached the room the used to belong to him and then Casey, now Lizzie, he heard her muffled laughter, and then his oldest son curse a blue streak, only to have his language reprimanded with a slap.

"_Sure, Liz", Derek complained. "I didn't hit you when you said-"_

"_You almost blew me __**up**__ – and I'm on your __**team**__, you jackass! And you aren't supposed to hit girls – even if I did artfully string together seven curse words at once."_

"_Ooh, another dirty word- __**ow!**__"_

George knocked on the door lightly.

"Come in", Lizzie answered with a laugh.

George poked his head through the door cautiously and found them sprawled sitting on her bed with a game paused on the TV. "What are you guys doing? Liz, you're not usually up so late."

"Playing Xbox", she explained nonchalantly. "I kicked Derek's ass."

Derek snorted, offended. "Give me six hours and I'll beat your high score playing by myself."

"Not even possible", she argued.

"Wanna bet?"

Lizzie smirked. "Twenty bucks?" she teased pointedly.

He smacked her with a pillow, burying a laugh. "Shut up."

George rolled his eyes. "We're not allowed to bet anymore, remember?"

"We don't have to tell Mom", Lizzie wiggled her eyebrows playfully.

"That's creepy stalker-ish, stop it", Derek muttered.

She grinned, "Yeah, yeah, whatever."

He made a face at her and gestured to the screen. "I still wanna know who you had to make out with to get the early copy."

She groaned, "_No one_, Derek. You're the only one who does that."

He smirked. "Oh, right."

George frowned, "Early copy of what?"

"The new _Call of Duty_ that's coming out in the spring", Lizzie answered.

"I don't want to know", George muttered rubbing his forehead. "How is it?"

"Awesome", she smiled. "Derek sucks at it."

"I do _not-_"

"Okay, so I only won by a few hundred points."

"Blah, blah, blah, quit gloating", he grumbled, shoving her lightly.

"Derek! You almost pushed me off the bed!"

"How about I hang you out the window?" he retorted.

"Oh, just try it", she taunted.

"Okay, you two, break it up", George said half-heartedly.

Lizzie reached over to ruffle Derek's hair. "We're just playin'", she laughed.

"_Hey!_" Derek yelped indignantly, batting her hands away and putting her in a headlock. "Don't touch the hair!"

George snorted. "Keep it down", he chuckled. "I just put Marti in bed. If you wake her up, you can take a turn."

Derek groaned and let Lizzie pull his arm loose from around her neck. "Yeah, we'll keep it down."

"Okay then", George nodded like he had accomplished a huge task. "Edwin went to bed too, so you'll be the only ones up. I checked all the locks downstairs and the lights are off. Don't stay up too late guys."

"We won't, George", Lizzie nodded. "I told Mom I would help her make cookies tomorrow - you know that's an all-day project."

He chuckled. "Good point. Don't let Derek bother you all night."

Lizzie snorted at her step-brother's face. "Yeah, I'll kick him out eventually."

"Night, you two", George rolled his eyes as he shut the door behind him.

"Don't let _Derek_ bother _you_ all night?" Derek complained. "Unbelievable."

Lizzie just grabbed a pillow to cover her face with while she laughed. He growled and jabbed her side, making her curl into a ball. "Stop it!" she giggled.

He poked her again and had to slap a hand over her mouth when she yelped. Her knee pressed into his ribs to knock him off her and he chuckled. "Where's the remote? There's gotta be something on Netflix."

0

It was nearing eleven-thirty the next morning when her bedroom door banged open.

"Liz", Edwin called from the doorway. "Nora says you guys have to get up."

"Ugh, go away", she complained.

Derek made a disgruntled noise against her shoulder. _She wasn't sure why they were shoved against each other…_ "Shut up, Ed", he grumbled.

"Can't", Edwin said dryly. "We're on high alert. Nora just got off the phone with Fiona, and they're coming here for Christmas."

Lizzie sat up, nudging Derek off of her and glared at Edwin. "They _who?_" she demanded.

Edwin grimaced. "Fiona, Harold… and Vicky", he said reluctantly.

Derek groaned. "_Dammit. _Why'd Nora say _yes_?"

"Casey's gonna be pissed", Lizzie muttered.

"Somebody better find all the mistletoe and hide it", Derek ordered, getting up slowly. "I don't need to be sexually assaulted by Casey's arch nemesis this year."

Lizzie snorted. "Hide it? _Burn_ it", she rolled her eyes. "Wait a minute…" she started, eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Where exactly is Vicky supposed to sleep?

Edwin winced. "Maybe we can arrange the rooms ourselves so no one gets screwed over too badly. Marti could sleep in her tent or in here, and Vicky can have her room…"

"Come on", Derek headed for the door. "We can talk about this later. I smell bacon."

00

**A/N: And that's chapter 5. Hope you liked it. Drop me a line.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Working on it – LWD**

**Summary: Set after the movie.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own LWD. It would have never gone on the Disney channel- I don't own that either.**

**A/N: Thanks to those who have left me comments! I like to know what you're thinking. Keep in touch. Glad those of you who have ventured to read it are enjoying it.**

_**Chapter 6**_

Breakfast was louder than it had been in a while. Derek had his own level of loudness while he pestered his siblings, ordering Edwin to make a plate while he took a bite of Marti's toast. And they _all_ complained about Fiona and Vicky's arrival next week.

George muttered about Harry and a sprained ankle – _and who goes hiking for a damn bachelor party anyways?_

"Aunt Fiona is always about to cry, and Vic_toria_ is peter-noisy", Marti stumbled over the word. Lizzie bit her tongue to keep from laughing.

"I think you mean _patronizing_, kiddo", Derek chuckled.

"Yeah, that. Then who's Peter?" Marti asked, scrunching her eyebrows together in confusion.

"Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers?" Edwin offered.

"Oh, _that_ Peter", Marti nodded.

"Uh, Mom…" Lizzie started slowly. "Where are we putting them?"

Derek groaned. "I've got that figured out, but can I finish my breakfast first?" he complained.

"_You're_ assigning bedrooms?" George asked dubiously.

"Yup, I got it covered", he nodded, eating like he wasn't being stared at.

"Vicky isn't sharing with you", Nora rolled her eyes, leaning over the baby seat as she let Simon try a small bite of mashed bananas.

Lizzie choked on a piece of bacon trying not to laugh, remembering the discussion she had had with her oldest step-brother about her _dear_ cousin. Edwin helpfully slapped her on the back.

"No chiz, Nora", Derek made a disgusted face.

"Alright, Derek, let's hear your idea", Nora nodded.

He shrugged. "We were going to switch the bedrooms while I was here anyway. You guys take my room, and I move into the basement this weekend. Edwin keeps his room – 'cause let's face it, no one else likes it up there. Harry and Fiona take Liz and Casey's room, Icky Vicky can sleep in Marti's room-"

"Where am _I_ supposed to sleep?" Marti glared.

"I'm getting there", Derek placated. "The couch in the basement is a pull-out, and we've got an air mattress. The girls crash with me, and hopefully I won't wake up to Vicky caressing my hair – _again_." He shuddered dramatically.

"We can have a slumber party?" Marti asked excitedly.

"Victoria did _what?_" Nora groaned.

"Sure, why not", Derek shrugged, answering Marti. "You've got to clean your room though."

"Drat!" Marti pulled a face.

"The four of you are going to be able to share a room without fighting?" Nora asked skeptically, "For _four_ days?"

"It's a pretty big room", Derek pointed out. "And there's the attached bathroom."

"What do you think, George?" Nora questioned.

He made a face. "I don't know, Nora. Do you think Casey will go along with this?"

Lizzie pulled out her phone and started typing. "I'm texting her. Hold on. Casey can sleep on the air mattress in Marti's room with Vicky or in the living room if she doesn't like it."

"Or the porch", Derek added with a mouthful of pancakes.

Lizzie elbowed him discreetly.

"Ow!"

She blinked at him lazily as her phone beeped. "What happened?" she asked, tilting her head innocently even though he was glaring at her. Lizzie read the reply from Casey and chuckled. "She said it's fine as long as Derek picks up his underwear from the floor. If there's a problem, she'll take the air mattress somewhere else."

Derek snatched her phone and started texting Casey.

"Der-ek!" she complained when he leaned away from her reaching hand. "Give it back."

"Hold on", he smacked her hand away.

"Text her yourself", Lizzie whined.

"I am!" he laughed.

"With your own phone, moron!" she reprimanded. "She'll know it's you anyway."

Edwin rolled his eyes. "And you guys are all seriously going to share a room? We should start digging a hole in the backyard _now_."

"Liz, Marti, will you two be alright with this?" Nora asked, pointedly interrupting what might have ended up being a slap fight between Derek and Lizzie over her phone.

"Sleepover!" Marti repeated, nodding happily.

Lizzie groaned, reaching over Derek's shoulder for her phone again where he was gleefully harassing Casey. "_Give me-_ ugh, Mom, I don't care. But I'm with Casey on the subject of Derek's underwear."

"What were you and Case doing with my underwear?" Derek teased.

"I'll dye them all _pink_ if you don't give me my phone back right now!"

"Sure you will", he chuckled, moving to put his plate in the sink, shoving her phone in his pocket. "Come on, Lizard. You can help me pack up my room." He took off up the stairs.

"I- _what?_ My phone- Mom!" she yelped.

"Seriously?" Nora groaned, rubbing her forehead. "Go on", she dismissed her daughter. "And remember you all agreed to this ludicrous idea. So if you can't get along, George and I will _not_ be refereeing", she said seriously.

"Thanks, Nora", George nodded seriously. "That goes for me too!"

"George!" she muttered exasperatedly, and then nodded at Lizzie. "We'll start packing to move things upstairs."

Lizzie got up and rinsed her plate off and put it in the dishwasher along with Derek's.

"Dad, a nod would have been fine", Edwin offered.

"A pony would be better", Marti added. "Nora, I'm full."

"We're not getting a pony", George said dryly, "For the _millionth_ time since you could talk."

"Go play, honey", Nora took Marti's plate and got to the dishwasher before Lizzie closed it.

"I'm going to color!" Marti announced as she disappeared into the family room.

"And I'm going to get my phone back before Derek starts deleting all the guys on my contact list", Lizzie grumbled, jogging through the house and up the house.

Edwin snickered. "I'm glad that's not my job. She'd kick my ass."

George groaned, "'_All_'? Just how many boys' numbers _are _on her phone?"

"Soccer team, science club, AV club – they don't really count, and some guys from her karate class" Edwin shrugged. "And Matt, of course – plus Sam and Ralph…"

"I have a headache", George complained. "Wait a minute… _Derek's_ Sam and Ralph?"

"Ralph works at the mall", Edwin explained. "We see him a lot. And Sam calls when he's in town and no one else is around to play hockey with. I usually play goalie."

"Does Derek know that?" George made a face, clearly remembering the Sam and Casey dating fiasco ad Derek's conniption fit.

Edwin shrugged. "I didn't tell him. He'd freak out over nothing. I have their numbers too."

"Let's try to keep it quiet then", George advised.

"Oh, thank god", Edwin muttered under his breath. "I thought you were gonna try to say 'on the DL' again."

Nora laughed under her breath.

"Don't you have some homework to do?" George narrowed his eyes.

"It's a holiday, Georgie", Nora reminded calmly.

"Go clean you room or something-"

_Thump!_

"Or make sure Derek and Lizzie don't break something", he stared up at the ceiling towards Derek's room. He made a face. "That's not something I thought I'd _ever_ have to say."

"Nah, they broke that vase when he was teaching her hockey a few years ago", Edwin refuted.

"So that tale about a sudden earthquake was bunk, huh?" Nora raised a sarcastic eyebrow.

"_Maybe_ just a tad", Edwin held his thumb and forefinger slightly apart.

"Just as well", Nora smirked. "That was an ugly vase. It was from Dennis's mother. I'd been looking for an excuse to toss it for years."

"I told you, you should have 'lost' it in the move", George chuckled.

"When we were still married, Helen always said that she wanted her ashes in that thing and on our mantelpiece", Nora rolled her eyes. "Dennis made sure I got it on purpose", she laughed.

"Creepy", Edwin grimaced. He got up to put his own plate away. "I'm going upstairs."

00

Lizzie made her way down the hallway and shoved at Derek's half open door, walking in without invitation to find him at his computer. "Derek, I want my phone", she demanded.

"Huh, sucks for you", he said lightly.

"Oh, my _god_. Are you being annoying on purpose for any reason in particular?" she asked aggravatedly.

He smirked lazily.

"Derek!"

"What?"

"My phone", she said dryly.

"What about it?"

She groaned, deciding to give up for the time being. "Is this your idea of packing?" she asked, flopping on his bed and picking up a car magazine to flip through.

"I thought you could do it while I supervise", he teased.

"Ha-ha", she glared at him. "Not happening."

"Yeah, yeah", he muttered, clicking on the playlist he wanted and reaching to turn up the volume of his speakers. "I'm gonna grab some boxes from the attic to throw stuff in." He paused briefly at the door. "Are you actually going to help?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Will you give me my phone back if I don't?"

He grinned, "Nope."

"Go get the damn boxes."

She heard the smack of the pull-down ladder as it hit the floor and went to his computer to rename all of his playlists.

Lizzie was lounging on his bed again when he came back a few minutes later, a cocky quirk at the corner of her mouth. Never let it be said that she didn't learn to prank.

"What did you do?" he asked accusingly when he saw the look on her face as he dropped the stack of boxes at the doorway.

She smoothed her features instantly. "Nothing… I was just wondering if this half-naked girl actually _knows_ anything about cars", she gestured to the magazine.

He raised an eyebrow, only half buying it. "No one buys that for her _knowledge_", he pointed out.

"I have a sudden urge to wash my hands", she muttered, scooting off the bed and quickly running into the bathroom, ignoring his laughter.

He was still amused when she came back. "Better?" Derek shook his head.

"I want to take a bath in Clorox", she scowled. "You'll warn me before I touch anything _icky,_ right?"

He shrugged. "Stay away from the bottom drawer of the night table."

"And the box under the bed", she muttered under her breath, flushing slightly.

Derek smirked at that, almost deciding to let that one slide – but he _really_ couldn't. "I thought you would have learned your lesson after the first time."

"Oh, shut up", she grumbled. "It's not like it was my idea to begin with."

"Yeah, yeah, the devil made you do it", he laughed.

"Casey's not the devil", Lizzie said mildly.

"Blah, blah, blah", Derek waived her off, "Devil, spawn of Satan; tomato, potato."

She rolled her eyes and went to grab a box. "Where do you want me to start?"

He made a face and looked around. "The desk, I guess. The drawers come out though, so just the stuff on top. And the stuff on the shelf should fit in there too."

She nodded and sat in the desk chair and started moving things into the box. "Fair warning, if Harry and Fiona have sex in my bed, I'm moving into your room until Mom and George buy me a new mattress – and until I stop having nightmares."

Derek faked heaving. "I really didn't need that horrifying visual."

"What? Aunt Fiona's 'O' face?" Lizzie snorted.

"_Lizzie!_"

He tossed a pillow at her head while she laughed.

"You should have just given me back my phone", she pointed out.

0

Edwin had decided to bypass Derek's room completely to avoid getting suckered into doing all the work just in time to hear his brother yell at Lizzie for saying something about an 'O' face – _he really didn't want to know._

But instead of sneaking stealthily past the ominous red door that led into his brother's room, he tripped over an unsuspecting pile of boxes. "_Shit!_" he cursed as he flew through the air and then smacked his elbow on the floor.

He heard muffled laughter behind him and groaned. _Of course everyone available saw that._

"If you're practicing for pole vaulting, Ed, you're missing the pole", Derek offered dryly. "Now get in here and help. Quit smashing my boxes."

"Your concern is touching", Edwin said sarcastically as he stood up.

"Well, you did stick the landing", Lizzie teased. "I wish we had caught that on camera. Are you okay?"

Edwin rolled his eyes. "I'm fine, except for the mini heart attack I just had. And if your pride is somewhere on your ass, that hurts too."

Lizzie buried a grin.

"More packing, less chatting", Derek ordered, taking the blankets off the bed and tossing them on his cushioned chair under the window. "I don't want to do this all day."

"Funny", Edwin muttered under his breath. "I didn't want to do this at all."

"Ed, take out the dresser drawers and stack them in the hallway on the left. I'm gonna put the mattress and box spring on the other side."

Edwin gave a mock salute. "Aye, aye, King Derek, sir", he answered sarcastically.

Derek smacked the back of his head as he passed. "Everyone's a smartass", he groused.

Lizzie smirked. Derek had no idea that the playlist they were currently listening to was now labeled 'Color Me Pretty'. Never mind that she had added 'The Best of Brittany Spears Hits' to his library and put it in his rock mix category.

He was going to kill her slowly sometime in the near future. Hopefully it would be before Fiona, Vicky, and Harry got here.

"Hey, D, can I unhook the stuff over here we aren't using?" she asked distractedly.

He nodded, "If you don't blow it up. The printer, the lamp, the stereo- oh, _wait_", he finished sarcastically, "My stereo magically room hopped."

Edwin looked at the empty spot of the shelf curiously. "Hey, where _did_ your stereo go?"

"I told you", Lizzie said to Derek, trying not to laugh, "There was a little mix up."

"Yeah, in your head", Derek rolled his eyes.

"I only borrowed it", she laughed.

"If you don't intend to give it back, it's _stealing_, not borrowing."

"Wait, Liz has your stereo?" Edwin asked incredulously. "And she's still alive?"

"Yeah, well, Derek has always secretly wanted to share his things", Lizzie explained with a straight face. "I was just helping."

"I _what?_" Derek laughed outright. "That is a _lie!_ Somebody get her a straitjacket; she's gone mad."

"Sharing is caring, Derek", Lizzie sing-songed playfully, now finished with the desk and moving to clear the piles of CDs from the shelf.

"Do you want me to hit you in the face with another pillow?" Derek asked dryly.

She just grinned back at him and started unplugging things.

Edwin snickered. _His siblings were something else. If Casey had dared to take anything from Derek's room even if he wasn't here – much less his __**stereo**__ – she would have woken up with her underwear thrown on the front lawn and come out of the shower with blue hair. He wasn't going to question the dynamic though. It would give him an unnecessary headache. Liz was too easy going for Derek to get on her nerves as much as he bothered Casey – his brother didn't like to work __**that**__ hard. And Lizzie didn't usually do things to get on his brother's nerves for the hell of it – although if he deserved it, that was another matter entirely._

After a few hours of steady work, Derek's room had been cleared, his things strewn down the hallway. Even the shelves were unscrewed from the walls. He and Edwin carried the mattress, box spring, and the dresser down to the living room while Lizzie vacuumed the room so Mom and George could move their things in immediately. They had all decided to get the beds moved and set up first, before shuffling the rest of their belongings around.

Once she finished, she carried the vacuum down to the basement for her mom to use. Their room had been emptied as well and piled into the rest of the basement.

"Okay", she announced walking into the room. "You guys can take bed upstairs. There are boxes stacked against the wall, but there's enough walking space. Just be careful."

"Thanks, Liz", Nora said taking the vacuum.

"Ed, can you carry the frame? Derek and I will follow you with the box spring", George said.

"I'll help Edwin", Lizzie offered. "That frame isn't heavy, but it's a queen, so it's gonna be awkward on the stairs."

George nodded. "Good point. Let's go. Nora can finish in here, and we'll put Derek's bed in next."

0

They took a break from moving to eat lunch, and by the time they finished, and things were mostly in order and put away, it was almost dinner time. Edwin suggested tacos since they were fairly easy and quick to make, and Nora agreed and went into the kitchen with George following to help.

Dinner was quiet since it had been a long day, and they finally sat down to watch a movie. Liz had beat Edwin at rock, paper, scissors and picked _Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls._

It was nearing eight o'clock when the phone rang. Derek groaned but got up to get it anyway. He checked the caller ID before answering, "Sex addicts hotline, how can I direct your call?"

"Der-_ek_!" he heard from George _and_ from the other end of the phone line.

"'Sup, Case?" he chuckled.

"I need to talk to Mom", she said flatly.

"Yeah, what for?" he asked blandly.

She gave a long-suffering sigh. "I'm pregnant."

Derek dropped the phone, and then promptly scrambled for it when everyone turned to look at him curiously. "You're _**what?!**_" he roared.

She laughed. "_**Kidding**_, I'm kidding, Derek."

He hung up on her.

Ten seconds later the phone rang again.

He picked it up and growled into the phone. "That was _not_ funny."

"It was a little funny. Look I know you're in a mood, or whatever-"

"What's that supposed to mean?" he grumbled.

She laughed. "Let me talk to Mom. I need to let her know my flight information."

"You damn near gave me a heart attack", he said roughly. "I'm not done yelling at you yet."

"Learn to take a joke, D."

"I can take a joke. You're just not funny", he muttered. "You can be unfunny to your mother." He turned to raise his voice over the television. "Nora, your astronaut daughter is on the phone."

"Astronaut?" George muttered as Nora got up and went to talk to Casey, taking the phone into the kitchen.

"Space Cadet", Lizzie answered, rolling her eyes. She was instant messaging Matt, explaining that she hadn't texted because Derek had kidnapped her cell phone and they had spent the day rearranging the house.

_She didn't mention she might have to wrestle the phone from her step-brother's back pocket later. Maybe bribery would work…_

0

Derek had disappeared after he got off the phone with Casey, and Lizzie had lost track of him. She was startled when she finally went upstairs to go to bed only to find him in her room with _his _stereo playing music, on lounging quite comfortably on her bed.

"_Derek!_ What the hell are you doing in here?" she stared incredulously, pushing the door closed and leaning against it.

"Well… I was going to snoop through your closet, but then I found your pile of photo albums", he grinned, gesturing to a pile on her floor.

She wasn't amused. "Those were in a box under my bed", Lizzie said pointedly.

"Go figure." He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"That's creepy", she reminded. "_Why_ are you in here going through my room?"

"I was bored. You took my stereo."

"What's that got to do with anything?" Lizzie laughed.

"And funny thing… _your_ radio was under the bed too", he raised his eyebrows.

She shrugged. "Go figure. I want my cell phone back." She walked over to the bed and held her hand out.

"_I_ want my stereo", he said lazily.

Lizzie picked up a pillow and whacked him with it. "It's right there! Give me my phone!"

"Ah, ah", he scolded. "You didn't ask very nicely."

She scowled. "You stole my phone, and ransacked my room! How nice do you _really_ expect me to be about it? Don't think I won't go through your pockets."

He laughed. "You would not- _hey!_"

She had hit him with her pillow again. He grabbed it from her, making her fall onto the bed half on top of him, and she began rifling through his pockets.

"Where is it?" she demanded.

"Would you stop frisking me!" he yelped.

"_Cell phone_", she repeated irritatedly, still digging in his pockets.

He went on the offensive then, searching for her ticklish spot.

"Ah, Derek!" she shrieked. "Stop it!"

"Hush!" he laughed under his breath. "Are you trying to wake everyone up?"

"Stop tickling me!"

"Stop digging in my pockets like a raccoon!" he retorted.

She burst out laughing and fell to her side on the bed. "Give me my phone and take your stereo, cranky."

He grinned and pulled her phone from his back pocket. She snatched it before he changed his mind and ran away with it again. Derek got off her bed and unplugged his stereo and went to the door.

"Night, Liz", he laughed.

She rolled her eyes as he closed the door behind him, "Jerk."


	7. Chapter 7

**Working on it – LWD**

**Summary: Set after the movie.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own LWD. It would have never gone on the Disney channel- I don't own that either.**

**A/N: Thanks to those who have left me comments! I like to know what you're thinking. Keep in touch. Glad those of you who have ventured to read it are enjoying it.**

_**Chapter 7**_

Monday

"I'm going to the mall with Matt after school. Rebecca and Caleb are meeting us there, then we're going to a movie", Lizzie said to her Mom after breakfast before school Monday morning.

"Okay, honey", Nora nodded. "You can invite him to dinner if you want."

Lizzie shrugged. "I'll see. They're leaving Tuesday after school for Montreal to visit with his mom's sister's family over the holiday. He may have to pack and stuff. But I'll ask and let you know."

0

"Oh my _god_!" Rebecca squealed excitedly.

Lizzie, Matt, and Caleb all groaned. "What now?" Lizzie ventured wearily.

"Look at those _shoes_!" Rebecca insisted as she ran across the store.

"Who agreed to come in here?" Caleb muttered.

"That would be you, genius", Lizzie answered sarcastically. "Can you rein in your girlfriend?" she asked, rolling her eyes.

"Your friend", he retorted. "If you actually like girly shit like shopping, me and my buddy Matt here could be at the gamer store by ourselves."

"Hey, leave me out of it", Matt protested.

Lizzie grinned. "If I like the whole shopping thing, Bec and I would still make you come with us out of spite."

"Girl's got a point", Matt laughed, winding an arm around her waist. He gestured in the direction Rebecca had gone. "Go get her, Caleb. Tell her we're going to the music store now, if she doesn't move her ass we'll leave without her."

"Yeah, like that would work", Caleb muttered sarcastically, treading off after his wayward shopping girlfriend.

"Those silly kids", Matt chuckled, pulling her with him towards the exit.

Lizzie snorted, turning when she heard their friends' voices approaching, playfully arguing about Rebecca's shopping problem.

"Didn't your dad give you a spending limit?" Lizzie asked pointedly. "He almost murdered you last month over the credit card bill."

"That jacket was worth it", she sighed thoughtfully.

"Let's head to the music store", Matt said. "Liz wants the latest David Matthews Band CD."

"Dude, what's wrong with iTunes", Caleb frowned.

Lizzie grimaced. "Yeah, don't ask."

Matt rolled his eyes. "She's feuding with Derek."

"That's a bit of an exaggeration", she muttered, "Even if he did lock me out of my iTunes."

"He did _what?_" Rebecca laughed. "When'd he come home?"

"Friday night", Lizzie shook her head. "It's been a long weekend."

"Harassed by your hot step-brother, poor you", Rebecca teased.

"_Hot?_" Caleb repeated pointedly.

"He knows it too", Lizzie made a face.

"Uh, boyfriends standing right here", Matt reminded, siding with his friend.

Lizzie laughed. "I'm his step-sister, not blind."

"Oh, really?" Matt laughed. "That might be debatable since it took you _how long_ to notice how hot _I _am?"

"Too many soccer balls to the head", Rebecca muttered.

Lizzie tripped her. "You're a jerk. Come on. I think Ralph is working today."

The two pairs wound through the crowded mall until they got to the music store. The heavy rock music made Lizzie roll her eyes. She grinned though and pointed towards the blaring speaker. "Ralph's working."

Matt dragged Caleb - a bit forcefully - towards a large screen playing a music video.  
>Rebecca followed Lizzie with a frown. "How can you stand the music so loud?" she complained.<p>

Lizzie smirked. "Step-brothers", she reminded. "You'd understand if you had siblings."

"Your house _is_ really loud." Rebecca's eyebrows rose suddenly. "Speaking of hot step-brothers..."

"I didn't say-" she looked in the direction her friend had gestured and saw Ralph at the counter - talking to Derek. "Oh, you've got to be joking", Lizzie grumbled. "I swear he's following me."

Rebecca grinned. "Let's go say hi!"

"Geez, you're worse than Emily", she shook her head, but was grabbed around the wrist and dragged towards the back wall.

Ralph saw her first and grinned, calling over the music. "Hey, Lizzie! Lizzie's friend!"

Rebecca snorted, and Lizzie laughed. "Hi, Ralphie." Then she glanced at her step-brother. "Derek, why do I get the feeling that you're following me?"

He smirked. "Hi, Liz, nice to see you too"

"Dude, I saw you this morning", her eyes rolled.

"Hi, Derek."

He grinned. "Hey, Becca."

Lizzie kicked his shin pointedly. "Don't flirt with my friend."

"Don't kick me with those pointy little witch shoes!" he groused, rubbing his shin.

"Derek totally wasn't spying on you", Ralph said out of the blue. "He said so when he came in and said you were shopping with your boyfriend."

Derek groaned. "Ralph, seriously."

Lizzie glared. "Derek, I don't need a babysitter."

"Dude! Lizzie's boyfriend and boyfriend's friend!"

"Hey, man, what's up?" Caleb laughed.

"Music and band shirts", he pointed towards the walls.

"Hey, Ralphie, do you have the CD I want back there?"

He held up a finger and bent down behind the counter to rummage the shelves. A few more seconds later, and he popped up with a CD in hand.

Lizzie grinned, "Awesome lookin' out, Ralph."

He held out his fist and they did some kind of elaborate handshake before she handed him a twenty dollar bill Ralph went to scan her CD at the register.

Matt frowned down at her. "Why don't we have a cool handshake?"

Lizzie raised her eyebrow. "Well", she tilted her head thoughtfully, "Let me put it to you this way… Would you rather we had a handshake to say hi, or do you like kissing me?"

Rebecca snorted behind her.

Matt opened his mouth to speak when he noticed Derek glaring at him, and he took a pointed step back instead. "I think we should leave more room between us for the Holy Ghost", he answered finally, with a surprising amount of conviction.

Her lips trembled with laughter, and she leaned up and kissed him on the mouth and the fluffed his hair. Lizzie leaned against Matt's chest, smirking at her step-brother. "Quit scaring my boyfriend, Derek."

He relaxed slightly, forcing a shrug. "It's my job."

Ralph came back with her purchase in a small bag and her change. He winked at her conspiratorially, "Employee discount."

She grinned. Lizzie felt her phone buzz in her pocket and tugged it out curiously. _Who else texted her? Oh, right-_

She read the text from Jaime, jaw dropping, and then read it again. "_Holy shit-_"

Edwin snatched her phone out of her hand and stared at the screen incredulously.

Derek rolled his eyes. "What is it?"

Edwin shook his head. "Jaime says that Teddy got picked up in Vancouver for tagging."

"Teddy?" Derek repeated, "Evil Teddy?"

"Yeah", Lizzie nodded. "He got really messed up when his parents got divorced over the summer. His dad's in Vancouver now. He must be visiting."

"Who has an evil teddy bear?"

Derek groaned, "Never mind, Ralphie."

0

Matt did come over for dinner and Derek managed to only glare at him a few times – and kicked his shin 'accidentally' under the table just once. Lizzie threw a carrot at him.

Afterwards, Lizzie got Marti on her side and insisted they watch _Labyrinth_.

Edwin and Derek complained _loudly_ through the entire movie, except for Marti shushing them for her favorite songs. Nora and George had opted to go upstairs with Simon, knowing full-well, Derek wouldn't leave Lizzie alone with her boyfriend unsupervised.

"Liz, come on", Edwin grumbled. "Your David Bowie fetish has gotten way out of hand. I'm about to stage an intervention. And Matt- you just… you're an _enabler!_ She has a _problem_", he said stressfully.

Matt grinned. "I'll look into some rehab clinics."

Marti furrowed her eyebrows. "What's a fetish?"

Derek reached over and smacked the back of Edwin's head, "Good job, ya moron. You can ask Dad tomorrow", Derek answered her. "Remember to tell him Edwin said it."

"Okay, Smerek!" she turned back to watch only to make a face as the characters crossed the Bog of Eternal Stench. "Eww!" she hid her face behind a pillow.

"Thanks a lot, Derek", Edwin muttered. "Next time I pass gas in the car, I'm locking the windows."

"Try it and I'll make you walk home", Lizzie said seriously, still looking at the TV.

"Liz, I'm starting to think you have the hots for guys wearing tight pants and eyeliner", Derek muttered.

"Shut up", she complained.

0

After the movie ended, Marti was sent upstairs to get ready for bed because they still had one more day of school before vacation, and Edwin went upstairs to his bedroom.

Derek went into the kitchen because Lizzie wouldn't stop glaring at him, but stayed within hearing distance. It only took fifteen minutes or so before there was a knock on the door.

He heard Lizzie open the door and another male voice entered the living room. Derek groaned and then decided to check the situation when he heard minor scuffling Lizzie started cursing.

"Son of a _bitch!_ Brandon, put me down!" she hissed.

"Geez, Liz, do you have a freaking fan club or something?" Derek asked dryly before raising his eyebrows at the guy responsible for the insanity – and holding Lizzie across both of his shoulders. "Who the hell are you, and why are you wearing my sister like a winter scarf?"

The guy just grinned. "Hey! Derek Venturi!" he said in amusement.

Derek rolled his eyes. "I already know my name, dude. What's yours?"

Lizzie glared before licking her finger and sticking it Brandon's ear. "Put me down", she repeated.

He leaned over and set her on the floor gently before rubbing at his ear with a disgusted look on his face. "That's so gross!"

"Shoulda put me down", she muttered unrepentantly. "Derek, this is Matt's older brother Brandon. He's a senior this year – and the football captain since Max graduated."

Derek tilted his head thoughtfully. "Your last name's Wexler?" he asked.

"You didn't mention my last name", Matt said wryly in her ear.

Lizzie flashed a smirk. "I was making it harder for him to track you down and kick your ass. There goes that idea", she shrugged.

"I can run _really_ fast", he pointed out.

"Oh, _I know._"

"Hey, Baby Blonde", Brandon called to her, finishing his conversation with Derek, "You sure you don't want to come on vacation with us?"

Lizzie rolled her eyes. "What happened last time I fell asleep on your couch?"

"I didn't have anything to do with that!" he protested.

"You're insane if you think I actually would believe the story about hair elves", she scowled.

"Initiation, kiddo", he chuckled. "And you fell asleep first."

Lizzie sighed exaggeratedly. "Come on, I'll walk you out." She would rather hear the ribbing and catcalls from Brandon while she kissed her boyfriend than be glared at by Derek.

When she walked back into the house five minutes later, locking the door behind her, she found him leaning against the back of the couch.

"Spying?" she rolled her eyes.

"You didn't want to spend a week of vacation with your boyfriend?" he raised an eyebrow. "I bet you didn't even ask Nora."

"I wanted to see Casey", Lizzie sighed exasperatedly. "Not that I need to explain myself to you. You know what, Derek? You're on break from college. Why don't you take a break from monitoring my love life too? I'm going to bed." She went upstairs and locked the door to her bedroom before he even thought about following.

00

**A/N: Well, here's chapter 7. Let me know what you think!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Working on it – LWD**

**Summary: Set after the movie.**

**Disclaimer: **

_**Chapter 8**_

On Tuesday, Lizzie and Edwin were released early from school to start their holiday vacation, so they walked home together, stopping to pick up Marti on the way. When they arrived at home, they were greeted by a slightly frazzled Nora, and Simon who was happily playing in his pen.

Nora met them at the door. "Hey guys! Liz, Edwin, can you two go to the store for me? I have a list. I'm trying to get the rest of the baking done. Fiona will be here Thursday evening, which means tomorrow everything needs to be spotless, and Casey's flight gets in at seven-thirty tomorrow night. I'm hoping Derek's bedroom arrangement works…"

"It'll be fine, Mom, relax", Lizzie rolled her eyes. "Edwin and I will run to the store. I'll have my room clean tonight and find the air mattress. It's in the basement closet, I'm pretty sure. Tomorrow, I'll help Marti clean her room-"

"Darn it!" Marti called from the living room where she had commandeered the TV.

Lizzie laughed. "We'll play music, it won't be so bad." She turned back to her mother. "I'll get Derek to pick Casey up from the airport – we can order pizzas for dinner tomorrow night so there's no extra cooking or clean-up. Seriously, relax."

Nora laughed. "Alright, sorry, I'll try to be a little more rational."

"That's all I ask", Lizzie teased.

"I'll get you my keys", Nora said, heading into the kitchen. "I talked to your dad about getting you a car; he's going to look into some things and get back to me."

"You talked to Dad?" Lizzie raised her eyebrows.

Nora rolled her eyes and passed her daughter the keys, her credit card, and a shopping list. "I did. We have learned how to get along, you know."

"And he's spying on Casey for you", Edwin nodded, grinning.

"Duh", Nora laughed. "I don't have Derek to do it."

"True", Lizzie chuckled.

"Let's go, Liz", Edwin said, grabbing her arm and heading back out the front door.

0

Edwin walked with Lizzie through the snack aisles, debating appropriate munchies for their family plus the impending guests. He had shopped with Casey before – Edwin was grateful Lizzie wasn't trading all the chips for carrots, spinach, and celery while giving him reproachful looks. They did have some of vegetables too, but at least it was mixed in with the rest of the food. He was a boy who liked his snack food.

"So, seriously", he said as they made their way to the aisle of beverages, "You, Casey, and Marti are going to share the basement with _Derek_? How do you think that's gonna work out?"

Lizzie grinned. "Oh, I plan to write on his face with markers when he falls asleep. A purple mustache might scare off Vicky. She hasn't had a sense of humor in _years._"

"As long as it's not scented", he warned. "Otherwise she might eat his face."

"Hmm, good point."

"You know Derek's gonna get crazy and territorial, right? And use that high, shrieky voice he has when he freaks out", Edwin grinned.

She raised her eyebrows. "It won't be that bad. I think you're just jealous you don't get to slumber party with us", Lizzie teased.

"Yeah, that's it", he rolled his eyes. "Someone's gonna get smothered in their sleep."

"Ugh, whatever, let's finish shopping."

00

On Wednesday, Edwin, Lizzie, and Marti got out of school early for the holiday, and were in high spirits when they got home. Derek left a note saying he was doing something with Ralph, and since it was only one-thirty, they had at least four hours before their parents got home. Nora and George were both planning to stay at work late to finish up any loose ends so they could have a few days free.

Lizzie or Derek would have to pick up Simon from daycare at four. Since Lizzie planned to do it, she decided she had about two hours of free time to do a few loads of laundry.

She ignored Edwin's raised eyebrow when she dumped several mini pizzas into the toaster oven and set the timer. Marti would have one too.

"I'm going to get laundry. Touch those and die", Lizzie warned severely before heading to her room to sort her dirty clothes into piles. She wouldn't have time once Harry, Fiona, and Vicky arrived tomorrow, and Casey would have her own laundry to do tonight.

0

Lizzie was putting her third and final load into the washing machine when Derek came home. She glanced at the clock. 3:20.

"Marti, I have to leave in fifteen minutes to go get Simon. Do you want to come with me?" she called towards where Marti was under the dining table reading a book.

"Yeah!" the girl called back somewhat distractedly.

Lizzie nodded and took a basket of clean, folded clothes back upstairs. She piled it on her bed to put away a little later and headed back downstairs to get her water from the kitchen. She went around the corner first to put her light blue basket with her name written on the handle in Sharpie on top of the washer.

"I could have got him", Derek said with his head inside the refrigerator.

Lizzie made a face. "I figured I'd do it since you have to pick up Casey at the airport tonight", she said quickly.

He twisted around to stare at her incredulously. "I'm sorry. I have to _what now?_"

"_Please?_" she stuck her bottom lip out.

He rolled his eyes. "Not gonna work, Liz."

"Mom and George don't have time, and Mom won't let me drive through the airport by myself. She still thinks I'll get kidnapped at the mall for god's sake-"

"That's true!" Edwin called from the couch where he was watching television.

"_Please, Derek?_"

He scowled at her. "You're coming with me", he said finally.

She let out a sigh of relief, "Fine. _Thank you_. Marti, put your shoes and coat on! We gotta go!"

"Okay!"

Lizzie heard the younger girl scrambling out from under the table, and then her feet heading down the hall. She was about to follow when Derek grabbed her arm. She turned to see him smirking at her.

"_What?_" she groaned.

"You know", he said easily, "Nora happened to mention to me this morning that you were supposed to ask me about picking Casey up – since it was your idea – and she thanked me for being mature and agreeing. She assumed everything was fine since it hadn't been brought up again."

"You played me", Lizzie complained.

"You should have just asked."

"I _forgot_. It's been busy around here!"

He grinned. "You're still coming with me. Now go on. Don't be late to pick up Simon", Derek said seriously. "And come straight back. It'll be dark by five."

She glance out the kitchen window and nodded. "It's not snowing. Fifteen after, or twenty – at the latest – we'll be back."

"Be careful."

"I _will._" She rolled her eyes. "I don't even have to get on the highway." Lizzie headed through the living room and pulled on her coat and then her shoes. "Let's go, Marti."

George had dropped Nora off at work this morning so Lizzie could have the other car to pick up the baby. She hit the unlock button on the tiny remote, and watched for the headlights to blink.

Marti hurried and got in the car. Lizzie followed, but stuck her head back in the door with a smirk. "Hey, Derek", she called. "Pay attention to Edwin while we're gone. I'm worried he might start chewing on our shoes."

She slammed the door when she saw the pillow flying through the air.

Derek snorted. "You two are idiots", he said mildly, falling over the back of the couch and snatching the remote from Edwin's hand.

"Dude", he complained. "I promise I'll be fine if you leave me alone."

"Ed, no more watching the History Channel", Derek shook his head.

"Just because _you_ don't like to learn-"

"It's winter break. No more learning", Derek insisted. "It's a Derekus Law."

Edwin chuckled in spite of himself. "Fine, you win."

"Babe Raider 5?" Derek suggested.

"Babe Raider", Edwin nodded.

Derek rolled his eyes. "Get off your ass and put it in!"

"Yes, Derek; I missed you ordering me around _ever_ so much, Derek-" Edwin muttered under his breath as he fussed with their game console.

"I can _hear_ that", Derek pointed out lazily.

"Good", Edwin muttered.

_Ding! Ding! Ding!_

"Who's at the door-?"

"Derek, that's the dryer", Edwin said incredulously.

He blinked. "I knew that."

"Sure you did."

"Who's doing laundry?"

"Lizzie", Edwin said with a tone that implicated a '_duh_'.

"That's not a bad idea- set up the game. I'll be right back."

Ten minutes later he was listening to Derek bang around the laundry room and use a large variety of curse words.

"Derek, if you shrink your clothes, I will laugh my ass off", Edwin pointed out.

"That's not- I don't…" he sputtered unintelligibly for another moment. "Does Nora know that half of her laundry is _thongs_?"

Edwin felt his eyeball start to twitch. "D, you just said 'Nora' and '_thongs_' in the same sentence. My brain is broken."

"Not _Nora!_" he yelped, "You idiot!"

Edwin turned around then and leaned over the couch cushions with a half-amused look on his face. "You're doing Lizzie's laundry?" he chuckled. "Just close your eyes and toss it in the basket. And they aren't thongs", Edwin said monotonously. "They're just-"

"Way damn tinier than they should be", Derek interrupted irritatedly.

"And none of your business", Edwin reminded.

"It is if she's-"

"It's Lizzie", Edwin rolled his eyes. "I highly doubt it."

Derek glared at him as he passed to take the offending pile of clothes upstairs in the proper basket. "Liz isn't exactly a kid anymore", he said flatly. And when he came back less than a minute later, he tossed the empty basket towards the kitchen and grabbed the remote control, falling back into his chair. "And what the hell do you mean 'you doubt it'?"

Edwin groaned and then cursed under his breath. "I don't really want to start thinking about her sex life. It's not my business - she's made that perfectly clear. It's not yours either. So just drop it."

Derek grumbled heatedly under his breath in an irritated big brother fashion, but started the game.

0

Lizzie and Marti came home with Simon not long after. She got Derek to agree to keep an eye on them and after Marti settled in the chaise lounge with Simon in her lap and a book to read, she headed upstairs to finish cleaning her room for their guests.

She found an extra pile of laundry on her bed and grimaced slightly. Derek or Edwin going through her laundry… embarrassing – she wasn't sure who was worse. It was still slightly warm, so she started putting things on hangers and folding the rest so it wouldn't be wrinkled.

After she finished with her clothes, she dusted and cleared the clutter off the tops of her dresser. She declared her room done except changing the sheets which she would do in the morning, and went back downstairs.

Derek had gone back down to the basement, and had put Simon in his playpen with a Sippy cup of juice. Marti was still reading her book, and Lizzie sat on the couch next to Edwin and grabbed up the other control.

They were only playing for about twenty minute when they all heard Derek's voice from downstairs.

"_Liz, I'm gonna kill you!_"

Edwin paused their game, sensing she would be running for her life very shortly. "What did you do?" he hissed.

Lizzie smirked. "Well, he either saw that I renamed all his playlists, or found Brittany Spears in his rock mix – or both."

He groaned. "I'll start digging a hole in the backyard."

The door to the basement slammed open and Derek stormed through the kitchen, stopping halfway to the couch and folded his arms across his chest. He was glaring in her direction.

"Lizzie, I swear-"

She raised an eyebrow at him innocently. "What happened?"

"There's only so much I'm gonna let you get away with."

She stood up and tilted her head thoughtfully. "What did I do?"

He growled at her.

"Here we go", Edwin muttered.

"You screwed up my playlists and you made me buy a freakin' _Best of Brittany Spears_ CD. Do I even want to know how you hacked my password?"

She laughed then. "Was it supposed to be hard?"

"You owe me eleven ninety-nine plus interest for pain and suffering – and _ear trauma_", Derek said seriously.

Lizzie snorted. "Oh my _god_, you're such a crybaby. You kidnapped my phone for an entire _day_. Did you really think I wouldn't retaliate?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I'm going to be really nice and tell you to _run_", he said, suddenly advancing in her direction.

She blinked, momentarily startled. "Oh, _no_- Derek", she attempted reasoning with him while backing around the couch slowly.

"Lizzie, you should run", Marti advised calmly, not looking up from her book.

With that well-meaning advice, Lizzie ran for the stairs, yelping when he lunged after her. She made it upstairs and nearly to her room. She was trying to get her door closed when he grabbed her around the waist and tossed her over his shoulder.

Her hitting and squirming did little to nothing to loosen his grip as he stalked into the bathroom. She started cursing then.

"Derek, don't you _dare!_"

He let her dangle even further down as he leaned over to turn on the shower head, and then promptly set her in the shower and yanked the curtain closed with a mad grin on his face.

"_Derek! _You are _so_ dead", she shouted through the water.

"Never mess with big brother", he intoned patronizingly.

She growled irritably and seconds later whipped her water drenched shirt at him through the slight gap in the curtain and grinned when it smacked him right in the face. "While I'm in here, I might as well take a shower. Get out, Derek."

He tossed her wet shirt into the sink with a smirk. "You're welcome", he teased.

"Out!" she ordered.

0

"So, how was your day?" Nora asked Lizzie as she shuffled through the stack of bills that had come in the mail, "Any problems with Simon?" Then she frowned. "Why are you wearing pajamas?"

"Simon was fine", Lizzie said dryly. "_Derek _threw me in the shower with my clothes on", she added, loud enough for him to hear from the living room.

"Lizzie hacked my iTunes list!" Derek retorted, walking into the kitchen to defend himself.

"You _stole_ my phone!"

"And you took my radio."

"Ugh, I gave it back. Don't be so overdramatic", she grumbled.

"You owe me twenty bucks", he said pointedly.

"The Brittany Spears CD was only eleven ninety-nine", Lizzie frowned. "I will not be subjected to inflation."

"You defiled my _ears_", he whined.

"Should we ask for details?" George muttered to his wife reluctantly. _This was new territory._

Derek just held his hand out. "Twenty bucks", he repeated.

She stuck her tongue out at him but dug into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out a crumpled twenty. "Cry baby", she muttered. "Next time I want coffee, you're buying."

"I hope Harry and Fiona have sex in your bed", he hissed.

"Derek!" Nora scowled, completely appalled.

Lizzie snorted. "Oh, please, Mom, you know they probably will. I'm going to need a new mattress."

Nora groaned. "We'll see", she muttered. "Fiona's still a slut", she grumbled under her breath.

Derek hid his amused grin by biting his knuckle. _Well, then._

"I'm ordering pizza", George announced, grabbing the phone in the kitchen. "It'll give Derek time to eat dinner before getting Casey at the airport. The usual, everybody?" he questioned.

There was a round of agreement and George dialed the number for the pizzeria to place the order.

"Liz is gonna ride with me to the airport", Derek mentioned to Nora off-handedly.

"Is that a good idea?" she raised an eyebrow. "Can you two behave?"

Lizzie rolled her eyes. "It's fine, Ma, relax, okay?"

"I won't be relaxed until New Years", Nora sighed.

Derek looked down at Lizzie dubiously. "You know you're gonna have to put clothes on before we leave."

"Yes, thank you, I'm aware of that", she said dryly.

0

The car was parked in the pick-up lane, still running so they wouldn't get a ticket. Derek leaned against the hood of The Prince next to Lizzie. It was chilly, but thankfully not snowing, so they were fairly comfortable with hats and gloves on – along with their hot cups of coffee from Tim Horton's that Lizzie had insisted on getting.

"What time is it?" Lizzie asked for the third time.

"Two minutes later than it was last time you asked", Derek groaned.

"Her plane should have landed by now."

"Casey said she would text me when the plane landed and she could turn her phone back on", he said calmly. "Just relax. We got here early, remember?"

"Sorry", she muttered.

Derek's phone made an obnoxious noise then and he pulled it from his coat pocket. "She said she just landed", he said pointedly. "She's got to stop at baggage claim. It'll be another ten or fifteen minutes."

"'kay."

Several minutes later, her left leg was twitching, bobbing back and forth. He looked at her sharply, staring at the Styrofoam cup in her hand. "I thought I told you to get decaf."

"Oops?"

He groaned and traded cups with her.

She made an irritated noise and stared at the cup that was now in her hand. "You didn't-"

"You look like a six year old doing a potty-dance", he smirked. "Drink the damn decaf."

"Don't mock me. I'm excited." She took a sip from his cup anyway.

"I hadn't noticed", he said with amusement.

She stuck her tongue out at him.

Five minutes later when they were having an elbow fight, Lizzie saw her sister through the glass. "Casey! There's Casey!" she grabbed Derek's arm and shook it around.

He yanked it away from her. "Easy, killer", he muttered.

Lizzie waited until Casey stepped onto the sidewalk before jumping off the car to squeeze her sister in a tight hug.

Casey laughed, "Hey, kiddo. I missed you too."

Derek went and picked up the rolling suitcase she had dropped and moved to put it in the trunk, calling over his shoulder, "Can you guys move the hug-fest to car so we can get home?"

"Join in on the love, Derek", Casey teased as they separated.

"I'll make you walk", he threatened lazily.

She grinned at him and ruffled Lizzie's hair. "It's so nice to be home", she chuckled. "Let's go."

Casey set her carry-on bag in the trunk as well, and they piled into the car. Lizzie hopped in the backseat. "Yeah, we'd better hurry. I'm sure mom is anxious", she rolled her eyes.

"Anxious?" Derek rolled his eyes as he drove out of the airport and towards the highway ramp. "She's been in a tizzy all day."

Lizzie smirked.

0

Casey and Lizzie chatted the whole way home, mostly uninterrupted save for a few comments from Derek. And when they got home, the family descended like a swooping hawk – but with more hugging and less pecking.

With all the noise and laughter, it took Lizzie a while to realize that Derek hadn't spoken to her directly since they had left the airport. Normally she wouldn't have noticed it as strange – they did have a lot of people in their house – but it seemed like he was going out of his way to talk around her, and she didn't like that.

She finally left the kitchen, allowing Casey and her mother to talk privately, and went to go change back into her pajamas. She found her black ribbed tank top and warm, fuzzy pink plaid pajama pants still lying on her bed where she had left them. She changed quickly and made her way back downstairs to find Derek watching the sports channel in his recliner.

She took a spot near the end of the couch and looked at the television with a frown. "What is this, a week of reruns?"

He made a noncommittal noise, but didn't complain about it like he normally would have. That was confirmation enough for her.

"Okay, why does it seem like you're angry with me?" Lizzie sighed exasperatedly.

"I'm not."

She glared, "Liar."

"I'm not angry at you, Lizzie", Derek said quietly.

"Really? Then what the hell is your problem?"

"Just drop it, Liz", he sighed, standing up and setting the remote on the arm of the couch next to her before walking out of the living room and disappearing into the basement.

She stared at the TV incredulously. _What the hell?_

00

**A/N: Well, this was a long one. Thanks for reading to the end. Hopefully it's not too over the top. I'm sure tomorrow I'll find things wrong with it, but enjoy! Leave me a review. I'm plotting the next part already.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Working on it – LWD**

**Summary: Set after the movie.**

**Disclaimer: Oh, look at me, so smart for leaving this spot blank on all my other chapters. Oops? No, sorry to burst your bubbles. I own nothing!**

_**Chapter 9**_

_**A/N: Okay, so the last chapter was posted ages ago, but the website was being glitchy, I guess. There was never an alert email for it. So, please make sure you've read that first!**_

Lizzie woke up just after two in the morning and went down to the kitchen for a drink, and found Derek sitting at the island.

She cleared her throat slightly as she went to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water, and then leaned against the counter. She was still kind of annoyed that he was ignoring her.

"Are you going to tell me what your little bitch-fest is about?" Lizzie said finally. _She was way too tired and annoyed to play word games._

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me", she said irritably. "You've been acting like a sullen, pouty jackass all night – _only to me_. So I repeat, what is wrong with you?"

"I'm sorry", he grumbled grudgingly.

"Good for you. I still want an explanation."

"Guess you're going to have to deal with not having one", he shrugged.

"Oh, right, Derek Venturi is too much of a chicken to deal with _feelings_", she rolled her eyes.

"Hey, who's mad at who here?"

"Well, I'm a little annoyed at you right now!"

"Just forget it, alright?" he sighed.

She shrugged, knowing Derek never did what anyone wanted. "Or you could just tell me, but whatever. I'm going to bed. Night, Derek."

"Liz-" he groaned.

"No, you don't want to act like a grown up, or whatever- I'm done."

Lizzie was walking away when an arm wrapped around her waist, and she froze. "Derek- what the _hell_?" she hissed.

"I just- you missed Casey", he said quietly in her ear.

"And you, what?" she asked in an undertone, stepping out of his grasp and turning to look at him. "You're mad at me because… I didn't hug you when you came home…?"

He said nothing.

She stared at him incredulously. "Are you _serious?_ How in the world was I supposed to know that? We don't _do_ that. I mean, you're practically Derek 'I don't do hugs' Venturi-"

"Dad changed my middle name? I don't think he can do that since I'm over eighteen", he said, sounding slightly amused.

Lizzie groaned. "Don't make this into a joke. Not when you've been avoiding me or glaring at me all night."

"I'm sorry."

"You should be. You should have just said something-"

"Something like _what_? 'I want us to start hugging and have it not be weird'? I hadn't really thought about it before today! Cut me a little slack here."

She sighed loudly, rubbing her forehead. _This was seriously the weirdest conversation they had ever had. __**Ever.**_ _It was even weirder than the 'abominable snowman vs. the Yeti' conversation. _"So… what? We're going to start doing the hugging thing now?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Is that a problem? We _have_ hugged once or twice before."

"I didn't say that- ugh. Okay, _fine_", Lizzie growled. "We'll start hugging."

"Fine", he shot back.

She snorted, backing out of the kitchen. "Yeah, I'm going to bed before my brain explodes."

Derek just grinned. "Night, Lizzie."

Her eyes rolled. "Yeah, yeah, cry me a river, ya big baby." Then she was heading upstairs before he could follow her.

00

The first thing Lizzie did the next morning was switch the sheets on her bed, and then got next in line for the bathroom to shower once Casey finished hers. Once her morning routine was finished, she gathered the things from her room that she would take with her down to the basement.

The rest of the afternoon was filled with keeping Nora from freaking out as they prepared the rest of the house for their soon-to-be-arriving guests.

0

"They're here!" Nora called frantically as a silver SUV pulled into the driveway.

"Goody", Edwin muttered under his breath.

"You know this wouldn't suck so much if Vickie wasn't such a bitch", Derek grumbled.

"Yeah, well, she is", Casey said dryly.

"Casey, Derek, I know she can be a bit of-"

"A nightmare?" Derek interrupted.

"A life-ruiner?" Casey muttered.

Derek held out his hand and they traded a fist bump.

"Just- try to be polite without being doormats. Besides, Fiona said she's changed a lot since she started college", Nora amended as the doorbell rang. She went to the door when it became apparent that no one else was anywhere near eager to do it, and let Vickie inside with a hug. "Hi, sweetie, come on in."

"Hi, Aunt Nora", she responded, tugging her rolling suitcase into the house behind her. She gestured towards the car. "They're… coming", she rolled her eyes.

Nora could hear Fiona and Harry bickering as they unpacked their luggage. Then Fiona burst out laughing, and Nora glanced at her niece in surprise. "When did your mother get a sense of humor?" she asked mildly.

"Blame Harry", Victoria said, sounding a bit amused. "Although I could have done without the three hours of show tunes they listened to the _whole_ way here."

Nora grinned and yelled out the door. "Do you two want some help? We might still have a wagon in the garage."

Harry's head popped around the side of the car. "Oh, hey, Nora! No thanks. We've got it. The girls managed to pack lightly this week."

"Harry, neither me nor my mom have an entire _bag_ of hair products", Vickie called.

"I'm training my hair, sweetheart", he laughed. "You can come talk to me if you start going bald!"

Vickie rolled her eyes. "Oh, Lord", she muttered.

Nora chuckled. "Come on, make yourself at home. Kids, I know you plan on becoming one with the couch over the break, but could you at least _pretend_ to have some manners."

"None of us are that good at acting, Nora", Edwin called back.

She sighed. "Good point. Get over here anyway."

The McDonald-Venturis gathered at the door reluctantly to say their hellos as Harry and Fiona came through the front door and began their round of greetings.

"Lizzie, darling, look at you!" Aunt Fiona said dramatically, after making her way from George, Edwin and Marti, kissing both her cheeks, and then moving on to hug Nora before Lizzie had to respond. And then she was getting a perfunctory hug from Vickie.

"Hey, cuz."

Lizzie managed a cautious smile, "Victoria."

"Do _all_ of Nora's relatives have giant sticks up their asses?" Derek muttered in her ear.

She smirked and elbowed him in the ribs, "Pretty much, yeah."

"Derek, it's great to see you again", Vicky drawled.

"Victoria", he nodded.

"No need to be so icy, Derek. We're all family here", she winked before turning her attention elsewhere.

He shuddered. "Eww", he hissed.

Lizzie smirked. "I just vomited a little bit in my mouth."

00

The next afternoon, Lizzie was about to take her third bite of her sandwich when a hand shot out and grabbed it from her.

"Dude!" she complained when Derek took the seat next to her with _her_ sandwich hanging out of his mouth. "_That_", she emphasized, pointing at her stolen food, "was just in my mouth!"

"And now it's in my mouth", he grumbled around a mouthful before swallowing. "I just wanted to taste your free-style chicken."

She rolled her eyes and snatched her hoagie back. "It's free-_range_ chicken, not free-style. They don't break dance."

He smirked at her in amusement.

"That's disgusting", she managed to groan despite her laughter.

"Well, aren't we just one big, happy family", Victoria said dryly as she walked into the kitchen.

"Tell that to my sandwich", Lizzie muttered.

Her cell phone rang, and she managed to grab it off the counter and slap Derek's hand before he took it.

"Hello?" she laughed, ignoring Derek's '_ouch_'.

"_Liz?"_

She pulled back from her phone to check the caller I.D. "Sam? Hey, what's up?"

"Sam?" Derek raised an eyebrow, "My Sam?"

"_Is that Derek?"_

"Oh, my gosh, someone has to shut up!" Lizzie complained. "Derek, zip it!"

"_Derek's there? I've called him six times. Would you tell him I said, 'quit losing your phone, asshole'?"_

"D, Sam says he's been trying to call you, and to quit losing your phone."

"_Lizzie!_" Sam laughed loud enough for Derek to hear.

She shrugged, and added the curse word as an afterthought, "Asshole."

"'_Atta girl!"_

"You're a bad influence", Lizzie teased.

Derek smirked and gestured for her phone.

She waved him off like a mosquito.

"You guys busy?" Sam asked.

She grinned. "Got an offer we can't refuse?"

"_Wanna get a two on two game of hockey going?"_

Lizzie hesitated briefly. She and Edwin had played with Sam and Ralph on occasion when Sam came home on an odd weekend, but now that Derek was home, she kind of felt like she was intruding on 'boy bonding time'. "Uh, I'm gonna let you talk to Derek", she muttered, copping out of the conversation. She handed her cell phone to Derek. "I want it back."

Lizzie heard Derek's vague, one-sided conversation as she finished eating and then went to load the rest of the dishes in the sink into the dishwasher. She ignored the fact that he seemed to be watching her.

Finally he slid the cell phone across the island at her, and glanced discreetly towards Vicky who was making what looked like grilled chicken salad.

Lizzie grabbed her phone and her half-empty glass of iced tea and followed him into the living room.

"Be ready to leave in fifteen minutes. Sam's gonna swing by to pick us up. I'll tell Edwin."

She raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, and who's telling George and Nora that we're bailing?" Lizzie hissed.

"I thought we'd just sneak out and apologize later", Derek muttered under his breath.

She groaned. "I'm _so_ going to regret going along with this plan."

"Go out the back door in ten minutes. Don't get caught."

"Tell Edwin", Lizzie sighed. "Our stuff is all downstairs. I'm gonna change and get outside. And don't worry. I don't plan on writing down an 'escape to do list'."

He smirked. "Yeah, well, you're the smart one."

She rolled her eyes, heading back towards the kitchen to get to the basement. "Just don't go tellin' people", she teased over her shoulder.

00

The five of them took over the ice rink, chatting as they engaged in a friendly game of two on two with Edwin guarding the goal.

"So how goes the family togetherness?" Sam asked.

Lizzie rolled her eyes, "Too much family."

"And too much togetherness", Derek added.

"Basically too much Vicky", Edwin called.

""_Victoria_"", Lizzie and Derek retorted.

"Whatever."

Sam snickered. "And you guys left Casey to deal with her?"

"Hey, those two feud over everything and it makes life difficult. Case can take her", Derek shrugged. "We'll help bury the body."

Ralph snickered. "She can't be that bad."

"I'd invite you over to meet her and see for yourself", Lizzie said, "but I like you too much."

"That's... nice?" Ralph answered, a bit confused.

"You think we're kidding, but we really aren't", Edwin shook his head. "I hate to say it, but we're probably missing out on an epic cat fight right now."

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'd rather miss the cat fight than risk the chance of Victoria tripping and falling on my lips", Derek shuddered.

"Yeah, she's kind of been staring at you like a lion eyeballs steak", Lizzie teased. "But I doubt her and Casey will get into a real fight. They haven't done that since Harry and Fiona's wedding. And what we're really missing is Mom getting pissed that we left the house."

"I'm all for sneaking back in and acting like we never left", Edwin said seriously.

"That will only work if they don't search the house from top to bottom", Derek rolled his eyes. "Three of us are missing. Even Nora and Dad would notice that."

0

Nora finds George in the kitchen. "Is it suspiciously quiet in this house?"

He frowns. "It is, isn't it? _Where_ are the rest of our kids?"

"_Casey!_" Nora hollered towards the family room.

"Yeah, Mom?" she came into the kitchen with Simon on her hip, holding a stuffed yellow elephant, leaving Marti playing 'Go Fish' with Victoria in the living room.

"Would you happen to know where Derek, Edwin, and Lizzie are?"

Casey shrugged, handing her youngest sibling over to George. "Last I saw, Lizzie and Derek went downstairs. I don't know about Edwin."

"Do you mind checking?" Nora sighed. "I'm fairly certain they're not here."

Casey sighed and heads down to the basement. _They __**would **__leave her here with Icky Vicky…_

The basement was empty. She took a look around briefly, not being able to tell what was missing, before pulling out her cell phone and forwarding one text to her three missing siblings.

'_Mom and George are going to kill you guys when you get back.'_

0

It was a quarter 'til five when Sam and Ralph dropped them off with wishes of good luck.

Derek stopped them as they walked around the side of the house to go in the back door. "Okay, they know we left… our best bet is to act like they were supposed to know about it."

"Derek, we're just gonna get busted", Lizzie rolled her eyes.

"I don't get busted!"

Edwin snorted, "Whatever you say, bro."

"Shut up and come on!" he hissed.

George and Nora were both in the kitchen waiting for them when they came in the back door.

"What's up, parentals?" Derek said easily, tossing his bag in the corner of the laundry room.

"Where have you guys been?" George asked sternly.

"Hockey game with Sam and Ralph", he shrugged. "You guys said it was alright the other day-"

"Don't even try it", Nora shook her head. "We aren't that scatterbrained."

He shrugged, "Had to try."

Nora eyed the guilty trio before smiling wryly. "I'd ground you, but I'm a little jealous. Just… go be social, and don't sneak off again."

George's eye widened. "Nora-"

She smiled slightly. "They were only gone a few hours, and I know they'd love to take care of the mess after dinner."

He smirked as the three teens groaned.

"Go clean up", George said. "Dinner is at five-thirty."

0

After a long and awkward dinner, the teenagers dispersed to the living room where Derek and Edwin were wrapping up a match of _Babe Raider 5_.

"My turn", Casey snatched the controller from Edwin when he lost, and she hopped over the back of the couch.

Derek glanced over at her. "You sure you wanna do this?"

"You know, it's been a while since I've played… Maybe you could take it easy on me?" she batted her eyelashes teasingly.

"You wish, princess", he snorted.

She smirked. "Bring it."

"Awfully feisty there, McDonald", Vicky drawled.

Casey stuck her tongue out.

"Real mature, Case", Derek chuckled.

"Are we playing or trash talking?" she demanded,

"Aw, why can't we do both?"

00

**A/N: Forgive me for the long wait! The first section was giving me grief. Derek **_**really **_**doesn't do feelings. He was being difficult! **

**Someone mentioned to me that this hasn't really been all that M-rated – so, I've changed the rating back to T for now. I wasn't sure if I could tone down my cursing, lol. We'll see how it goes. There might be a few M-rated things to come, but not for another ten to fifteen chapters, I suppose. I have a lot of necessary plot written, but have to do the filler chapters and so forth because I got distracted with ideas I had to write down. I just wanted to give you all a heads up. Thanks for reading and reviewing.**


End file.
